With 44 new cases, this is the highest single daytally in the state so far, after 36 new cases were reported onThursday.
"Today is a very negative day as far as the numbersare concerned, as there are 44 new cases," Primary andSecondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters.
"We have increased our capacity of testing and aretesting more samples," he said.
Pointing out that more than 17,000 tests have beenconducted, Kumar said, earlier 500 tests per day wereconducted while now it is nearly 2,000.
He said, in terms of tests and its results Karnatakastands second in the country after Kerala.
"in Kerala one out of 44.16 tests is positive, whilein Karnataka one out of 43.56 tests is positive."
Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfaredepartment Jawaid Akhtar too said complete census testing ofall secondary contacts is being done and this is sending a lotof positive cases.
"Even though the number (of positive) cases has goneup our positivity rate is 2.2-2.3 per cent.
In this positivity rate, we are next only to Kerala..it is good in a way that we are able to identify infectionsin secondary contacts and we will be able treat them now," hesaid.
"We have also kept adding different groups ofpatients like Influenza-like illness (ILI) history cases;patients in database with- non communicable diseases, TB, HIV,among others, widening the ambit testing," he said, addingthat intensive surveillance and screening will be done todiagnose cases early.
According to a bulletin, as of 5:00 PM on April 17,cumulatively 359 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmedin the state, which includes 13 deaths and 88 discharged.
It said of 258 active cases, 255 patients (including1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitalsand their condition is stable while three are in ICU.
Among the 44 new cases, except two (one with travelhistory Delhi and other with SARI) all others are the contactsof patients already tested positive.
Eleven of the newly infected are from Nanjanagud inMysuru, who are contacts of a single patient who had earliertested positive, while other districts with large number offresh cases are - ten from Bengaluru urban, seven fromHosapete in Ballari, five from Belagavi, three each fromMalavalli in Mandya and Chikkaballapura.
Four out of total 38 new cases are children.
The bulletin said nine out of 359 cases detected andconfirmed in Karnataka are transit passengers of Kerala.
From across the state most number of infections havebeen reported in Bengaluru urban with 86 cases, followed byMysuru 73 and Belagavi 41.
Out of total 88 patients discharged,41 are fromBengaluru, 12 from Mysuru, eight each from Chikkaballapura,Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada.
Among the dead are three each from Kalaburagi andBengaluru urban, two from Chikkaballapura, and one each fromBelagavi, Bagalkote, Vijapura, Gadag and Tumakuru.
A total of 17,594 samples were tested so far, out ofwhich 2,070 were tested on Friday alone.
According to the bulletin, 14,606 samples havereported as negative, and of them 1,532 reported negativetoday.
Responding to a question on the pharma company -Jubilant in Nanjanagudu, Mysuru district which is one of thelarge cluster of cases in the state, Kumar said 1705 peoplehave been quarantined, 1225 have been tested, out of them 61are positive, reports of 480 are still awaited.
Meanwhile, with rising number of positivecoronavirus cases in the state, the Karnataka government hasdecided to conduct tests on those displaying symptoms for thedisease in districts that have not reported even a singlecase.
Eight districts are COVID-19-free in the state.
Noting that doctors were of the opinion that it wasnecessary for those suffering with fever, cold, breathingproblem to immediately undergo COVID-19 test, thegovernment said a special app is being developed for thispurpose.
In the wake of COVID-19 cases increasing during thelast couple of days, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa helddiscussions with top officials and experts.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare hasissued guidelines for Testing of Pooled Samples using RT-PCRwith advisory by ICMR.
The department has issued circular regardingapproval of COVID-19 testing in private laboratories withcondition and fixed the cost test at Rs 2250 in Karnataka.
On the advisory issued by ICMR, the department hasalso issued circular on Rapid antibody based blood test forCOVID-19.
According to Kumar, ICMR has purchased, 6,50,000rapid tests kits for the country, of which Karnataka will get12,400 kits.
"It will reach us this night, so from tomorrow itwill be used for tests," he added. KSU BNWELCOME BNWELCOME