Karnataka reported 918 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the highest single day increase reported in the state.
596 cases were reported in Bengaluru taking the number of active cases in the city to 1913. Though the numbers have been going up steadily in the city, Saturday witnessed a sharp spike. Bengaluru reported 144, 113 and 173 cases in the previous three days.
The high number of cases were confirmed in the state health department's daily bulletin listing the COVID-19 cases reported in the state. However, the bulletin on Saturday did not specify the details of travel and contact history of the patients.
Health officials are yet to acknowledge that community transmission has begun in Bengaluru. Community transmission is when people are infected with the virus without known contact with another confirmed case nor having travelled from a place affected by the pandemic.
The high case load was reported even though the number of tests done - 13,577 - was lesser than the previous two days. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka rose to 11,923 of which 4441 are active cases.
The spike in cases in the state was reported even as Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced that a lockdown will be in place in the state on Sundays starting from July 5. In addition, the curfew currently in place from 9 pm to 5 am will be effective from 8 pm to 5 am starting on Monday.
Elsewhere, 49 new cases were reported in Dakshina Kannada district and 33 new cases were reported in Kalaburagi district.
As many as 197 COVID-19 patients in the state are currently in the ICU. Of this, 125 patients are in Bengaluru.
11 deaths were reported on Saturday including 3 patients from Bengaluru and 3 more from Bidar district.
The state health department is in the process of identifying more spaces in Bengaluru to be turned into COVID-Care Centres where asymptomatic patients will receive treatment.