Karnataka Covid cases jump 225% in 24 hours, one death recorded, active cases mount to 175

Amid a surge in infections following the emergence of the JN.1 variant, the Karnataka Health Minister urged the public to wear masks in crowded places.

Karnataka's fresh COVID-19 infections surged by over 225 per cent on Friday to 78 cases, compared to 24 cases registered the day before. The state reported one more death, which took the total death count in the state to 40,321. Karnataka was the second state after Kerala to contribute the most number of cases in the country.

Karnataka was the second state after Kerala to contribute the most number of cases in the country. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

It observed a positivity rate of 3.29 per cent against yesterday's 1.06 per cent. Of the new cases, as many as 68 were from the state capital Bengaluru alone, data from the health department said. With only seven recoveries, the southern state's active caseload mounted to 175, as compared to Thursday's 105 cases. There were 156 active cases in Bengaluru, the health department's bulletin noted.

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Among other districts, two new cases emerged from the Dakshina Kannada district, one from Bengaluru Rural, four from Chikkamagaluru, one from Mysuru and two from Ramanagara. The remaining districts had no new cases. As many as 2,366 samples were tested in the state, of which 1,947 were RT-PCR tests and 419 were Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs). Karnataka's total Covid tally was at 40.89 lakhs, with the Case Fatality Rate standing at 1.28 per cent.

Around 162 patients out of the 175 total active cases were isolated in their homes, while 13 were hospitalised, out of which seven were in general wards, and six were being treated in ICUs, compared to yesterday's nine patients.

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Amid a surge in infections following the emergence of a new variant called the JN.1, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday urged the public to wear masks in crowded places and exercise caution. “No restrictions will be imposed and wearing of masks will not be made compulsory for the time being,” he told news agency PTI.

He added that the first meeting of the four-member cabinet sub-committee for Covid-19 management will be held on Christmas day in the state capital.