COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Bengaluru as 9,917 more patients tested positive for coronavirus on April 16, Friday. This comes a day after 10,497 cases were recorded in Bengaluru Urban on Thursday – the highest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic. With this, the total number of active cases in the Bengaluru Urban district is 79,616.
Karnataka reported 14,859 COVID-19 cases on Friday along with 78 deaths due to the virus. There are 577 people in Intensive Care Units (ICU) in the state, which has a test positivity rate of 11.11%. Further, 4,031 people were discharged on Friday after getting treated for COVID-19. The state has a total of 1,07,315 active cases. The fatality rate is at 0.52%.
In Bengaluru, 57 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, per the April 16 bulletin. Further, 2,071 people have been discharged in the city after receiving treatment.
Bengaluru Urban has been reporting the highest number of coronavirus cases in Karnataka, which continues. On Friday, Kalaburagi reported the second-highest COVID-19 patients in a single day, at 488, a far second compared to Bengaluru Urban. Tumakuru reported 432 new cases, Mysuru reported 415, while Bengaluru Rural reported 358.
On Friday, the state government announced that 10 new COVID-19 Care Centres are being started in Bengaluru to cater to the surge in cases. These centres will come up in hotels, hostels, private hospitals, colleges, wedding halls and will be operational in three days, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tested positive for the novel coronavirus for a second time since the pandemic began, on Friday. He was shifted to Manipal Hospital.
BBMP, in collaboration with Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), has also launched additional helplines for COVID-19-related assistance in light of the surge. People can call 1912 to contact the helpline if they have any queries related to testing, vaccination or medical advice.