K'taka COVID-19 update: 4,537 cases on July 18

Bengaluru: Karnataka recorded 4,537 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the biggest single-day spike of the pandemic, bringing the total number of those infected by the deadly virus in the state to 59,652.

With 1,018 discharges, the number of patients who recovered and were discharged reached 21,775, the health department said in its latest bulletin. The total fatalities in the state climbed to 1,240 with 93 deaths, the department said.

Out of 4,537 fresh cases reported, 2,125 cases were from Bengaluru urban alone. The cumulatively 59,652 COVID-19 positive cases confirmed in the state include 36,631 active cases, 21,775 discharges and 1,240 deaths, the bulletin said. It added that 580 patients among the active cases are in the ICU.

Most of the dead are either with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI).

The state capital has so far reported the highest number of 29,621 positive cases including 6,540 discharges and 631 COVID-19 deaths. It is followed by 3,306 cases in Dakshina Kannada and 2,674 in Kalaburagi. On Saturday, 34,819 tests were conducted taking the cumulative tests so far to 9.84 lakh. Till now 8.99 lakh tests came negative including 28,550 on Thursday.