BENGALURU: The number of Covid-19 patients currently under treatment is at its highest in Karnataka with 1,15,574 Covid-19-positive persons in hospitals or home isolation. This figure has been consistently rising on the trot since October 1 when the state recorded 1,10,412 active cases, followed by 1,11, 986 active cases on October 2, and going up to 1,12,783 active cases on October 3.
Experts in the state Covid-19 war room attribute the increasing number of active cases to high number of tests being conducted across the state. Karnataka’s active cases first crossed the one lakh mark on September 10 when the number touched 1,01,537 cases, after which it it fell only to cross the one-lakh mark again on September 16, 17 and 18.
It dropped again briefly, only to rise and remain above the one-lakhmark since September 26. As per the war room data, active cases have been growing since July. Bengaluru alone has 86,472 people in active quarantine. This is followed by Mysuru, Dharwad, Hassan and Davanagere. Karnataka saw 10,145 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday which took the state tally up to 6.40 lakh (6,40,661) cases. There were 67 deaths reported, taking the death toll to 9,286 cases.
The top five districts in terms of the day’s Covid cases are Bengaluru with 4,340 cases, Mysuru with 1,037 cases, Hassan with 307 cases, Ballari with 304 cases and Dakshina Kannada with 293 cases. Of the active cases, 847 patients are high risk and are in ICUs. However, a good sign is the mortality rate dropping — to 1.44 percent — while the recovery rate is 80.50 per cent. Experts have blamed the rising number of cases on lifting of the lockdown, and lackadaisical public attitude by not wearing masks and violating Covid-19 safety norms.