A day after witnessing a dip, Karnataka on Tuesday recorded a new all-time single-day high of 63 new COVID-19 cases, most of them returnees to the state from other parts of the country, as the total breached the 900 mark, the health department said.
Hassan that had remained coronavirus-free district so far, reported five cases, including two children, as the state's tally rose to 925, including 31 deaths and 433 discharges, it said.
After highest single day spike of 54 cases on Sunday, the state saw a decline on Monday with 14 people testing positive but only to clock a new record high.
"Today is again it not a good day in terms of numbers... most cases are those with the travel history to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Odisha and Chennai," Minister S Suresh Kumar, the spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters.
He said most of them were those who got stranded somewhere (outside Karnataka) and came back recently.
"After their return, we placed them under quarantine. On screening and testing them during quarantine, they turned out to be positive," he said.
Deputy Commissioners of all districts have information about people who will be coming from outside in the days to come and accordingly they will make quarantine arrangements, he added.
According to the health department's bulletin, out of the 460 active cases, a total of 449 COVID-19 patients were in isolation at designated hospitals and stable while 11 were undergoing treatment in intensive care units.
Seven patients who have recovered, were discharged on Tuesday.
Bagalkode reported the highest of 15 cases on Tuesday followed by Davangere (12), Dharwad (9) Hassan and Kolar (5 each), Bengaluru Urban (4), Gadag (3) Dakshina Kannada, Yadgir and Bidar (2 each), and one each from Ballari, Chikkaballapura, Mandya and Kalaburagi.
As amany as 32 of the new cases are with travel history to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, six to Mumbai, two to Odisha and one to Chennai.
Among the others, fifteen are contacts of patients already tested positive, two are from containment zone in Bidar and one with history of Influenza Like Illness (ILI).
Contact tracing was in progress for four persons.
Asked whether the sharp spike in cases will make the Karnataka government reconsider its decision on relaxing lockdown, Kumar said after May 18, whatever the decision may be on lockdown, measures like quarantining, hospitalisation of specific cases, will stay with us for a long time.
"Because of lockdown relaxation these people (stranded outside) were able to come to the state, but on returning they were placed under quarantine, which avoided the spread, we will not relax that," he said.
Responding to a question on those stranded in foreign countries coming back to the state, the Minister said arrangement for paid quarantine would be made at the place chosen by them.
Bengaluru Urban continue to top districts in most number of COVID-19 cases with 182, followed by Belagavi 113 and Mysuru 88.
Out of the total 433 patients discharged so far, maximum 91 are from Bengaluru Urban, 84 from Mysuru and 44 from Kalaburagi.
A total of 1,16,533 samples had been tested so far, out of which 4,938 were on Tuesday, the bulletin said.
So far 1,11,264 samples have been found negative and out of them 4,797 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the government issued orders directing that all COVID-19 suspected cases whose test reports are inconclusive should not be kept in dedicated COVID hospitals till their repeat test result and put up in dedicated health centres.
Also, the Project Director of Karnataka AIDS prevention Society has issued directions to all Districts AIDS officers to utilise the contact phone numbers shared by the government for reaching out and carrying out health checkup of AIDS patients during this COVID-19 period.
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