COVID: 28,723 new cases reported in Karnataka; 20,121 in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Karnataka on Friday reported 28,723 new cases of COVID-19, including 20,121 in Bengaluru, as it recorded the highest number of tests since the beginning of the pandemic at over two lakh.

There were 14 new fatalities (Bengaluru – seven), the Health Department said in a bulletin.

“Highest testing since the beginning of pandemic with 2.21 lakh tests today,” State Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar tweeted on Friday.

The positivity rate stood at 12.98 percent in the State, where there were 1,41,337 active cases, including close to 1.01 lakh in the city.

Sudhakar said although the cases are increasing by the day, only about five to six percent are getting hospitalized.

“However, it is a matter of concern that nursing staff is getting infected. So we should not be complacent as it may overwhelm our health infrastructure”, he said.

Experts have opined that the third wave in the State may peak by February first week and start receding by the third or fourth week of next month, according to him.

Noting that weekend restrictions have been enforced from last week, the Minister said: “We can’t expect the infection to reduce in seven days. In the first two waves we needed at least 14 days to break the chain. It is lesser in this wave, but the infection is spreading 5-6 times faster”.

“We will get to see the result of weekend curfew in the next few days”, Sudhakar added.