The number of COVID-19 patientsdischarged in Karnataka so far has crossed the 200 mark, while 11 new cases have been confirmed in the state, taking the total number of infections to 523.Meanwhile, in further relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown norms, the government decided to conditionally allow economic activities to restart in green zones by opening shops and industries.Cumulatively 523 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, including 20 deaths and 207 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.Out of 295 active cases, 288 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while seven are in Intensive Care Units.Fourteen patients who recovered were discharged on Tuesday. Seven of them are from Mysuru, five from Bengaluru urban and one each from Bengaluru rural and other state."The number of discharges are more today.Total discharges have also reached 207. This development instills confidence," Minister S Suresh Kumar, who is spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters.He said 40 per cent of those found positive had already been discharged and the number would be more in the days to come.Out of the 11 new cases reported, six are from Kalaburagi and all are contacts of a patient who already tested positive.Among them four are women and two are men.Three people (a man, woman and a 11 year-old boy) are from Jamakhandi in Bagalakote district and are contacts of patients already tested positive.The other two are- a man from Bengaluru urban, who was in contact with those in containment zone of BBMP Ward-135; and a man from Gadag, who has a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).Contact tracing has been initiated and is in progress for all the cases, the department said.From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru urban with 131 cases, followed by Mysuru 87 and Belagavi 52.Out of the total of 207 patients discharged so far, the maximum of 58 are from Bengaluru, 48 from Mysuru and 11 from Chikkaballapura.Among the dead are five each from Bengaluru urban and Kalaburagi, two each from Chikkaballapura, Dakshina Kannada and Vijayapura, and one each from Belagavi, Bagalkote, Gadag and Tumakuru.A total of 50,512 samples have been tested so far, out of which 4,827 were tested on Tuesday alone, the bulletin said.So far 48,508 samples have reported as negative, out of whih 4,717 were on Tuesday.Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said Karnataka has adequate testing kits and RT-PCR kits and the testing capacity has steadily gone up."Going further we are trying to enhance our testing capacity by whatever means possible... we are exploring all possibilities," he said.Pointing out that random sampling tests were being conducted in two hot spots in Bengaluru, Minister Kumar said 145 samples were collected from Hongasandra in the last two and 70 in Padarayanapura, all of which tested negative.Responding to a question, he said 120 containment zones have been formed in Karnataka.Meanwhile, fresh relaxation orders were issued by Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar under which shops and industrial activities have been allowed to operate in green zone districts of Chamarajanagar, Koppal, Chikkamagaluru, Raichur, Chitradurga, Ramanagara, Hassan, Shivamogga, Haveri, Yadgir, Kolar, Davangere, Udupi and Kodagu.The restrictions will continue in Bengaluru Urban, Belagavi, Mysuru, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Bidar and Dakshina Kannada, where only essential services will be allowed.All shops, including shops, standalone shops, those in residential complexes within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities can open with 50 per cent staff strength, with masks and social distancing mandatory.Shops in residential and marketing complexes will be allowed to open in areas located outside municipal limits, it said, adding that multi-brand and single-brand malls will remain shut in the state.Industries operating in rural areas of green zones (except Ramanagara) have been allowed to function.Also, manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in Special Economic Zones and export- oriented units, industrial estates and industrial townships will be allowed.These establishments are expected to arrange for the stay and transport of employees, the order said.With blood banks facing shortage of stock and difficulty in providing transfusion to pregnant, post-natal mothers, accident cases and those with blood related diseases,an action plan has been prepared by the Commissionarate of Health and Family Welfare Services with instructions to districts to strictly follow it.Also, the Director of HFWS, has issued guidelines for providing maternity services in the state, under the prevailing COVID-19 circumstances.
