BENGALURU: Karnataka on Friday reported 28,723 new cases of COVID-19, including 20,121 in Bengaluru, as it recorded the highest number of tests since the beginning of the pandemic at over two lakh.
There were 14 new fatalities (Bengaluru - seven), the Health Department said in a bulletin.
"Highest testing since the beginning of pandemic with 2.21 lakh tests today,"
State Health and Medical Education Mnister K Sudhakar tweeted on Friday. Positivity rate stood at 12.98 per cent in the State, where there were 1,41,337 active cases, including close to 1.01 lakh in the city.
Sudhakar said although the cases are increasing by the day, only about five to six per cent are getting hospitalised.
"However, it is a matter of concern that nursing staff are getting infected. So we should not be complacent as it may overwhelm our health infrastructure", he said.
Experts have opined that the third wave in the State may peak by February first week and start receding by third or fourth week of next month, according to him.
Noting that week-end restrictions have been enforced from last week, the Minister said: "We can't expect the infection to reduce in seven days. In the first two waves we needed at least 14 days to break the chain. It is lesser in this wave, but the infection is spreading 5-6 times faster".
"We will get to see the result of week-end curfew in the next few days", Sudhakar added.