For the second consecutive day, Bengaluru reported a significant jump in COVID-19 cases after 783 more people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the city on Sunday.
This is the highest increase in cases reported in a day in Bengaluru so far. It also comes a day after the capital city reported 596 COVID-19 cases on Saturday. In the three preceding days, the city reported 144, 113 and 173 cases respectively.
The number of cases in Bengaluru accounted for over 61% of the 1,267 cases Karnataka on Sunday. It is also the highest increase in cases reported in Karnataka.
A total of 5,472 patients are undergoing treatment in Karnataka. Of this, 243 patients are being treated in intensive care units (ICU), of which Bengaluru accounts for 155 patients.
Five other districts reported more than 30 cases on Sunday: Dakshina Kannada (97), Ballari (71), Udupi (40), Hassan (31) and Kalaburagi (34). Gadag reported 30 cases while Bengaluru Rural reported 27 cases. Dharwad and Mysuru reported 18 cases each. Bagalkot (17), Uttara Kannada (14), Haveri (12) and Kolar (11), too, reported COVID-19 cases.
Sixteen COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state on Sunday, of which four were from Bengaluru. Three deaths were reported in Dakshina Kannada, two each in Tumakuru and Bagalkote districts and one each in Kalaburagi, Ballari, Mysuru, Hassan and Dharwad.
The Karnataka government has identified more spaces in Bengaluru to be turned into COVID-Care Centres, where asymptomatic patients will receive treatment. Patients with symptoms, including mild to moderate symptoms, will be treated in hospitals.
The state also tweaked its quarantine rules on Sunday. It has removed the three-day mandatory institutional quarantine for travellers coming to the state from Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Now, travellers from all states, barring Maharashtra, will have to undergo 14-day home quarantine while travellers from Maharashtra have to undergo seven days in institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine.