Pramesh Jain
Amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the state, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said that the experts have warned of peak in infections by the first week of May.
Karnataka continued to report a surge in COVID-19 cases after the state recorded 10,250 COVID-19 cases on Sunday including 7,584 cases in Bengaluru.
Twenty seven deaths were reported in Bengaluru on Sunday taking the total number of deaths to 4,815.
However, the number of tests conducted on Saturday which is reflected in Sunday’s data stood at 1.32 lakh.
On Friday it was below 1 lakh.The positivity rate for the day on Sunday stood at 7.72 % and the case fatality rate stood at 0.39 %.
The cases reported on Saturday were 6,955 in the state and 4,384 in Bengaluru,the state capital.
The jump in cases was linked to the increased testing numbers in the state going up from 98,000 to 1.32 lakh on Sunday.
The total number of COVID 19 positive cases stood at 10.65 lakh.Of the 10,250 COVID 19 positive cases reported on Sunday,as many as 7584 cases were reported in Bengaluru Urban alone.
Meanwhile,as many as 2638 patients were discharged on Sunday,taking the total number of discharges to 9.83 lakh.Of the total 69,225 active cases in the state,as many as 440 patients are admitted in intensive care units across designated hospitals.
The number of COVID 19 related deaths reported on Sunday was 40, taking the total number of deaths in the state due to COVID 19 to 12,889.
Hospitals in Bengaluru are reporting an increased number of COVID-19 cases.A 31-year-old man who had tested positive for the virus died early on Saturday morning reportedly when he was searching for an intensive care unit (ICU) bed.
Taking seriously the issue,The BBMP chief health officer has sent a show-cause notice to Mahaveer Jain Hospital,Vasanthnagar,seeking an explanation on why the patient was denied a bed in spite of blocking it through CHBMS.It said,Since you have denied admission,which eventually led to death,you are hereby directed to give an explanation within 24 hours of receipt of this notice the release says.
The technical advisory committee advising the Karnataka government on Sunday said that the second wave of COVID-19 infections is expected to peak in the first week of May in the state and reduce by the end of May.
This marks a shift in the predicted timeline. Health Minister K Sudhakar had earlier predicted that the state will see 6,500 cases everyday around April 20.
Speaking to reporters,after meeting with the technical advisory committee (TAC) and expert committee on COVID-19 constituted by the government, he said the infections may peak during the next two to three weeks by May first week and decline by the end of that month.
They (experts) have given several suggestions and I have asked them to submit in a report format, which I will discuss with the Chief Minister and other senior Ministers and officials.
The suggestions are with scientific evidence, based on which the government will take necessary measures in the days to come,” he added.
Noting that experts will not be giving any suggestions that will hamper the economic activities, the Minister said but they have asked us to control people from gathering at places for various reasons, at any cost.
Citing inputs offered by experts on the trajectory of the infection in the days to come,Sudhakar said when the cases peak,the number of people requiring hospitalisation or in need of bed will increase,also we will have to strictly monitor those in home isolation.
The experts have most importantly advised about procuring certain medicines from now itself and supplying them to private hospitals too, also about strengthening telemedicine,tele ICU and triaging,he said.
Pointing out that Ugadi and other festivals are coming up and people will travel to their native place from Bengaluru and may carry the virus along with them, Sudhakar said experts have stressed on the need for it to be checked.
We will not get to know about the spike and spread immediately, we will get to know after about 10 days as it happened during the first wave.
Inter-state travels have to be monitored very strictly according to experts,he added.
On Sunday as many as 70,000 people were vaccinated, taking the total number of people who are vaccinated in the state to 58.51 lakh.
