E-Paper
K’taka reports 1,000 Covid-19 cases for third straight day, eight deaths
Bengaluru Karnataka reported 1,488 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in 24 hours on Wednesday, marking a third straight day with over 1,000 positives in the state, taking the total active cases to 11,359
Bengaluru
Karnataka reported 1,488 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in 24 hours on Wednesday, marking a third straight day with over 1,000 positives in the state, taking the total active cases to 11,359. The toll across the state jumped to 12,415 with eight more people succumbing to the infection.
Bengaluru, meanwhile, accounted for 925 new Covid-19 cases, which took the city’s total active cases to 8,122. The city also reported seven out of the total eight deaths in the state.
In the last one week, Bengaluru has reported 5,173 cases out of the total 8,163 across the state, recording a sharp spike, according to the state war room data.
The war room also shared data on average contacts per patient as several experts indicated that the rise in Covid-19 cases was partly due to ineffective contact tracing. There are 38.41 contacts (average of primary and secondary) in Bengaluru, while the number is as high as 66.04 per person in Mandya. The total average in the state is around 4.46 in the month of March, according to the war room data.
There are around 63,247 primary and secondary contacts in the state, according to the war room, including around 8,780 in Bengaluru alone.
The number of people in active quarantine in Bengaluru rose to 15,189. The state government has so far vaccinated 1997005 people and there have been around 25 people who have developed serious complications post inoculation.
The Karnataka government on Monday said it was putting together a concerted effort involving healthcare workers, officials and other personnel to prevent the possible second wave of Covid-19 in the state. K Sudhakar, state’s health and family welfare and medical education minister, said all agencies and personnel will work on “mission mode” for the next 50 days to prevent a rise in positive cases.
Chief minister B.S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said the state will target vaccinating 300,000 people per day to counter the spike. He ruled out any restrictions on movement or another lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
The Centre, meanwhile, turned down the state’s request to set up vaccination centres in old-age homes, apartment complexes and hard-to-reach villages.
In a letter, dated March 17 (but released on Thursday), the Union government conveyed that “it would be advisable that the state may consider limiting the Covid-19 vaccination services to health facilities as permitted by GoI.”
The letter added that the state may consider cohort mobilisation of beneficiaries through special vehicles to the designated Covid-19 vaccination centres so that they may be comfortably vaccinated and also observed for 30 minutes for any AEFI.
