Record single-day spike of 63 COVID-19 cases in Karnataka; tally breaches 900 mark

Bengaluru, May 12 () A day after witnessing a dip,Karnataka on Tuesday recorded a new all-time single-day highof 63 new COVID-19 cases, most of them returnees to the statefrom other parts of the country, as the total breached the 900mark, the health department said. Hassan that had remained coronavirus-free district so far,reported five cases, including two children, as the state'stally rose to 925, including 31 deaths and 433 discharges, itsaid. After highest single day spike of 54 cases on Sunday, thestate saw a decline on Monday with 14 people testing positivebut only to clock a new record high. "Today is again it not a good day in terms of numbers...most cases are those with the travel history to Ahmedabad,Mumbai, Odisha and Chennai," Minister S Suresh Kumar, thespokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters.

He said most of them were those who got strandedsomewhere (outside Karnataka) and came back recently. "After their return, we placed them under quarantine. Onscreening and testing them during quarantine, they turned outto be positive," he said.

Deputy Commissioners of all districts have informationabout people who will be coming from outside in the days tocome and accordingly they will make quarantine arrangements,he added.

According to the health department's bulletin, out of the460 active cases, a total of 449 COVID-19 patients were inisolation at designated hospitals and stable while 11 wereundergoing treatment in intensive care units.

Seven patients who have recovered, were discharged onTuesday.

Bagalkode reported the highest of 15 cases on Tuesdayfollowed by Davangere (12), Dharwad (9) Hassan and Kolar (5each), Bengaluru Urban (4), Gadag (3) Dakshina Kannada, Yadgirand Bidar (2 each), and one each from Ballari,Chikkaballapura, Mandya and Kalaburagi.

As amany as 32 of the new cases are with travel historyto Ahmedabad in Gujarat, six to Mumbai, two to Odisha and oneto Chennai.

Among the others, fifteen are contacts of patientsalready tested positive, two are from containment zone inBidar and one with history of Influenza Like Illness (ILI).Contact tracing was in progress for four persons.

Asked whether the sharp spike in cases will make theKarnataka government reconsider its decision on relaxinglockdown, Kumar said after May 18, whatever the decision maybe on lockdown, measures like quarantining, hospitalisation ofspecific cases, will stay with us for a long time. "Because of lockdown relaxation these people (strandedoutside) were able to come to the state, but on returning theywere placed under quarantine, which avoided the spread, wewill not relax that," he said.

Responding to a question on those stranded in foreigncountries coming back to the state, the Minister saidarrangement for paid quarantine would be made at the placechosen by them.

Bengaluru Urban continue to top districts in most numberof COVID-19 cases with 182, followed by Belagavi 113 andMysuru 88.

Out of the total 433 patients discharged so far, maximum91 are from Bengaluru Urban, 84 from Mysuru and 44 fromKalaburagi.

A total of 1,16,533 samples had been tested so far, outof which 4,938 were on Tuesday, the bulletin said.

So far 1,11,264 samples have been found negative and outof them 4,797 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the government issued orders directing thatall COVID-19 suspected cases whose test reports areinconclusive should not be kept in dedicated COVID hospitalstill their repeat test result and put up in dedicated healthcentres. Also, the Project Director of Karnataka AIDS preventionSociety has issued directions to all Districts AIDS officersto utilise the contact phone numbers shared by the governmentfor reaching out and carrying out health checkup of AIDSpatients during this COVID-19 period. KSUVS VS