With rising COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru, civic agency Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in the city has made masks compulsory in public places and decided to increase the tests for the virus from the existing 16,000 a day to 20,000 a day.
Everyday, more than 200 new COVID cases are being reported and we are conducting 16,000 tests. Now, the Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has asked us to increase the tests to 20,000 from 16,000 by the BBMP and 4,000 at the private labs. We will strengthen the information, education and communication activities, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike special commissioner Dr Harish Kumar told reporters on Monday, June 6.
He said the Chief Commissioner has directed all the Marshals to educate people on wearing of masks. They are ensuring masks at public places, including malls. From today, we will ask people through Marshals to wear masks at public places, Kumar added.
Since many cases of severe acute respiratory illness and influenza-like illness are coming in private clinics, the chief commissioner has asked BBMP officials to survey in each zone and submit a report, the officer said. He, however, appealed to the people not to panic.
The state reported over 300 cases on Sunday and one death due to COVID-19.
India added 3,714 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,85,049, while the active cases increased to 26,976, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday, June 7.
The death toll climbed to 5,24,708 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.06% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.72%, the ministry said. An increase of 1,194 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.21% while the weekly positivity rate was 0.97%, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,33,365, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22%. The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 194.27 crore.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.