Bengaluru
From 464 Covid-19 cases on January 1, Bengaluru on Wednesday reported a new high of 4,991 cases, with experts saying the nine-fold increase in around 100 days was an indication of the rapid pace at which the infection was spreading the city.
In comparison, Bengaluru took 118 days from its first Covid-19 case on March 8, 2020 to breach the four-figure mark on July 7 last year, when it reported 1,172 of Covid-19 infections, according to government data.
The first time Bengaluru breached the four-figure mark this year was on March 19 when the city reported 1,037 cases. It took just nine days since to touch 2,000 cases, 14 days to breach the 3,000 mark and 18 days to cross 4,000 Covid-19 cases. Bengaluru reported almost 5,000 new cases on Wednesday.
The rapid pace of infections in the second wave has prompted experts to draw up estimates that the city is likely to record around 6,500 cases per day by April 20.
With 4,991 new cases on Wednesday, Bengaluru’s total number of active cases rose to 35,789. The city also accounted for 25 of the total 35 fatalities due to Covid-19 in the state. Karnataka reported 6,976 new cases on Wednesday, taking the active case count to 49,254. The positivity rate in the state is hovering around 6%, according to government data.
{{/usCountry}}With 4,991 new cases on Wednesday, Bengaluru’s total number of active cases rose to 35,789. The city also accounted for 25 of the total 35 fatalities due to Covid-19 in the state. Karnataka reported 6,976 new cases on Wednesday, taking the active case count to 49,254. The positivity rate in the state is hovering around 6%, according to government data.
{{/usCountry}}On the growing number of cases, K Sudhakar, Karnataka’s health & family welfare minister on Wednesday said the government will take up more testing where positivity is high. “Nearly 5,000 cases have been reported in Bengaluru alone with a positivity rate of 5.56%. 25 out of 35 deaths in the state have been reported in Bengaluru. Tomorrow I have called a meeting of all senior officers of BBMP, Bengaluru Urban and Rural Districts. The prime minister will also hold a video-conference with all CMs,” he added.
The highest case count in a single day in Bengaluru was on October 8 last year when it reported 5,121 infections in 24 hours. But the rapid pace of infections in the second wave, said to have commenced in the beginning of March, is likely to outdo that figure by within another week, experts said.
The city has seen only two days without any fatalities due to Covid-19 this year, which highlights the severity of infection.
Dr. CN Manjunath, director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and member of the state’s technical advisory committee (TAC) on Covid-19, said Bengaluru was taking around one fourth of the time taken last year.
“Transmissibility in the second wave is faster and definitely higher as well,” Dr Manjunath told HT.
According to data from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP, the city’s civic body) total positive cases in the city came down from 18,551 in December last year to 10,311 in January and 6813 in February this year, until it saw another spike. Total positive cases went up to 31,886 in March and stood at 17,292 in April so far.
Experts said the “release phenomena” saw an increased participation in religious fairs, political events, marriages and other public gatherings that later turned into super-spreader events.
Dr V Ravi, former head of the neurovirology department at NIMHANS and member of Karnataka’s TAC on Covid-19, said there was a graded lifting of lockdown restrictions after the first wave, which helped control the spread. But people continue to move freely “as though Covid-19 has come and gone”. He said people had adopted caution even after the lifting of the restrictions, but that has now faded with time.
“There is tremendous laxity in terms of Covid-appropriate behaviour,” Dr Ravi said.
“This is being driven by clusters that occur in crowded cities and closed spaces,” he added.
According to experts, the chief minister BS Yediyurappa-led state government, which continues to look at people entering the state, has failed to look within for the problem or find an appropriate solution to contain the surge.
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru City Police have ordered a ban on use of gyms and swimming pools within the city. They have also imposed Section 144 of CrPC in the city.
Bidar, where one of the bypoll constituencies (Basavakalyan) is located, reported 214 new cases on Wednesday, while neighbouring Kalaburagi reported 205 cases. Mysuru, about 125 km from Bengaluru, continued to see a sharp spike as it saw 243 new cases while Tumakuru reported 204 new cases.
The mutation of the virus, experts said, showed a possibility of higher transmissibility but nothing to indicate so far conclusively that they were more severe.
The Karnataka government hopes that increasing its vaccination cover will help the state contain the growing number of cases. Starting April 11, Covid-19 vaccination can be distributed in all private and government work places that have at least 100 beneficiaries above 45 years of age, the state government said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Several large IT firms and industries had earlier requested us to allow vaccination at their premises. Companies can now provide vaccination to their employees at their offices if there are more than 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries. We have crossed 50 lakh inclinations in the state today. Soon we will reach 1 crore,” K Sudhakar, Karnataka’s health & family welfare minister said on Wednesday.