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Maharashtra returnees drive biggest single-day rise in Karnataka Covid cases
Returnees from other states are contributing most to the number of positive coronavirus cases in the state.
Karnataka witnessed the biggest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases on Friday with the identification of 515 new patients, including 482 returnees from other states, 473 of which had come from Maharashtra alone. With Friday’s figures, the state’s tally of Covid-19 cases has reached 4,835, including 3,088 active cases, 1,688 recoveries and 57 deaths.
With the reporting of a sixth of all active Covid cases in the state on Friday, alarm bells were ringing in the state government, though a health department official claimed that the jump was primarily due to increased testing –13,627 on Friday – and due to arrivals from hotspots like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. “Otherwise, local transmission is negligible,” he claimed on the condition of anonymity.
The Kalyan- Karnataka region-- the northernmost tip of Karnataka-- including Kalburgi, Yadigir, Raichuru districts have seen the maximum spurt in cases.
Coastal Karnataka district of Udupi, which is home to a number of returnees working in Mumbai hotels, tops the state with 685 active cases. Kalburgi, with 417 active cases, Yadgir with 345 and Raichur -318 share the second, third and the fourth spots among districts with most number of active Covid cases in the state.
However, the official quoted above pointed out that the Covid-19 death rate in the state was just “a tad bit over 1%” and a third of all positive patients registered have been cured and discharged.
Primary and secondary education minister Suresh Kumar, who has been the main spokesperson for the government on Covid-19 matters, did not address the media for the fifth day in succession but chose to tweet, saying “Bangalore’s population is estimated at 1.2 crores. In the last two months till yesterday, (the number of) those who tested positive for Covid were mere 424, in other words, just 0.003%”.
The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19
Meanwhile, despite the sharp jump in cases, the state government decided to further relax the lockdown norms and issued an SOP extending transport operation in the state into the night. All state-run transport buses will now be allowed to ply even at night. Earlier, the state had declared curfew between 9 pm and 5 am everyday, in line with the central notification governing Unlock 1. It has also permitted cabs, autos and taxis to ferry passengers who have valid tickets to commute on these state-run transport buses at night.
Leader of opposition (LoP) in the assembly, Siddaramiah also attacked the handling of the pandemic by the state government. Speaking to reporters in Mysore, Siddarimah said “The state government has been very lax in the way it has handled the ongoing pandemic and the resultant economic fallout in spite of opposition extending its full cooperation to the ruling establishment. They are neither responsible in the manner they have handled the pandemic, nor are responsive to the needs of people.”
