Karnataka witnesses biggest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases; state tally at 11,923

The meeting also decided that all government offices would be closed on Saturdays too starting July 10. From Monday – 29 June – onwards it also preponed the night curfew with it being now in force from 8 pm to 5 am.

Karnataka witnessed its single biggest day spike in Covid-19 cases on Saturday with the state registering 918 new cases across the state taking the cumulative total to 11,923 cases which includes 191 deaths and 7,827 discharges.

The BBMP commissioner was also directed to set up more number of wholesale vegetable markets to avoid crowds in large markets across the city. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

Worryingly for the state government, Bangalore (urban and rural) accounted for 601 or nearly two-thirds of the new Covid-19 cases registered in the state on Saturday. On Friday, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa who had held a meeting with legislators and members of parliament elected from Bangalore had categorically declared that the ‘economy was equally important and there was no question of lockdown in Bangalore.’

However, given the sharp spike in cases the state government which held an emergency meeting of the Covid taskforce as well as senior administration officials on Saturday said that starting July 5, every Sunday the state would go for a full lockdown in which no activities – except for essential services – would be permitted.

The meeting also decided that all government offices would be closed on Saturdays too starting July 10. From Monday – 29 June – onwards it also preponed the night curfew with it being now in force from 8 pm to 5 am.

Administration officials were also directed to have centralised bed allocation system to speed up hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients and increase the number of ambulances to 250 (from current 100) to ferry Covid patients.

The BBMP commissioner was also directed to set up more number of wholesale vegetable markets to avoid crowds in large markets across the city.