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B’luru logs over 3k new Covid cases, 18 deaths
Bengaluru As Karnataka continues to witness a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases, the government on Monday initiated talks with private hospitals to set aside beds for infected persons
Bengaluru As Karnataka continues to witness a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases, the government on Monday initiated talks with private hospitals to set aside beds for infected persons.
The state recorded 5,279 new cases on Sunday, including 32 deaths. The total number of active cases in Karnataka rose to 42,483. Bengaluru, too, registered its highest single day spike with 3,728 new infections on Sunday including 18 deaths, according to the daily bulletin of the health department on Monday.
“We have initiated talks with private hospitals to reserve beds for Covid-19 treatment. As per the advice of the technical advisory committee, we need to consider the pandemic seriously till May end. We need to contain the second wave and save lives,” K Sudhakar, Karnataka’s health & family welfare, medical education minister said on Monday.
He said that the health department has already asked for 20% beds in government and private hospitals to be set aside for Covid patients.
There are 345 patients in ICUs across Karnataka including 164 in Bengaluru, according to the health department.
Experts from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Covid-19 have estimated that Bengaluru will witness around 6,500 new cases per day by April 20 if the surge continues.
Even as the active case count in Bengaluru breached the 30,000 mark on Sunday (all reports are from one day earlier across the country) , business activities continued as usual in the IT city with only a few seen adhering to Covid norms by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
To contain the spread, the state government is aiming to increase the vaccination drive, but experts, have pointed out that inoculation (both doses) will only help prevent death or people falling seriously ill and not from contracting the virus itself.
Karnataka has so far completed vaccination on 44,75,617 persons. The state also received fresh stock of vaccines on Monday.
“All necessary measures have been taken to ensure sufficient supply of vaccine to the state and there is no question of shortage. State has received 15 lakh additional doses of Covid-19 vaccine in two consignments in Bengaluru and Belagavi,” Sudhakar said on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday even held talks with Karnataka and seven other Covid-19 impacted states in the country to review the evolving health crisis.
The Karnataka government on Sunday relaxed curbs on gymnasiums allowing 50 % occupancy against total closure till April 20 after gym operators and the regular gym-goers had given a representation to the chief minister. The government had imposed restrictions on many public events in its order on April 2 believing that public gathering could lead to the spread of Covid-19, which is rising alarmingly in the state. “Gyms will be allowed to remain open with the condition that the occupancy at any time cannot exceed 50 per cent of the capacity,” the government said.
