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City records over 5.5k new cases in its highest single-day spike
Bengaluru Karnataka on Thursday logged 7,955 new Covid-19 cases and 46 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 1
Bengaluru Karnataka on Thursday logged 7,955 new Covid-19 cases and 46 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 1.4 million and the toll to 12,813, the health department said on Friday. Bengaluru, meanwhile, recorded its highest ever single day spike in Covid- 19 infections with 5,576 persons testing positive and 29 fatalities.
Prior to this, the highest single-day spike was 5,121, which the state capital recorded in October 8 last year.
The total number of active cases in Bengaluru rose to 42,525 while it went up to 58,084 across Karnataka.
The BS Yediyurappa-led state government has imposed a night curfew for 10 days between April 10 to 20 in Bengaluru and six other district centres after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening.
Bengaluru is among the top 10 most impacted districts in the country and experts predict that the surge could continue for another three months.
While the positivity rate remained around 6% across the state, Bengaluru accounted for 70% of all cases reported on Friday (24 hours of Thursday)??. Bengaluru accounts for over 73% of all active cases in the state.
However, there appears to be no restrictions on political events as thousands gathered for campaigning in the three constituencies going to the bypolls on April 17, including Basavakalyan in the border district of Bidar, about 676 kms from Bengaluru.
Bidar, that shares its borders with Maharashtra, reported 186 new infections that takes its active case count to 1,538, while Kalaburagi, next to Bidar, recorded 211 new infections, according to government data. 119 new infections were reported from Chikkaballapur, 115 in Dakshina Kannada, 153 in Hassan, 104 in Mandya, 283 in Mysuru, 143 in Tumakuru and 127 in Vijayapura.
Meanwhile, all public religious services in churches and chapels across Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts of the Archdiocese will be suspended till April 20.
“All the public religious services in Churches, Chapels and institutions of Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts of our Archdiocese will be suspended from 7 to 20 April. However, Churches and Chapels may be kept open for private visits and adoration,” said Archbishop of Bengaluru Dr Peter Machado in a statement on Wednesday.
“The Priests may celebrate the religious services in private with a few or no participation of the public. In any case, maximum precautions and standard operating procedures have to be strictly followed,” said the Archbishop.
He further said that not more than 50 people will be allowed for funeral services and there will be no funeral mass in the Churches, but it may be celebrated in the cemeteries with SOPs in place.
In the case of sacramental celebrations (baptism, first holy communion, confirmation, marriages etc) which are pre-arranged in this period, not more than 50 people will be allowed. If possible, they will be held behind closed doors with SOPs in place.
“The liturgical services such daily and Sunday Holy Masses in different languages, Eucharistic Adoration and other paraliturgical celebrations will be live-streamed on our Archdiocesan YouTube, Facebook and other links,” he said.
The parishes are also allowed to live-stream their liturgical services to their parish community by giving sufficient information and publicity for it.
