Eight new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of affected in the state to 215.
As of 5.00 PM on April 11, cumulatively 215 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state. This includes six deaths and 39 discharges," the health department said in a bulletin here on Saturday.
Of the 170 active cases, 166 patients (including a pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while four are in Intensive Care Units.
Briefing reporters about the bulletin, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar said the Compounded Growth Rate of cases in the last five days showed that the all India average figure was 12.90 per cent, while it was 6.05 per cent in Karnataka.
"As per CGR, Karnataka stands at 19th place, while number of caseswise we are in 11th place," he added.
All the eight cases are contacts of patients who have already tested positive.
Among them, five are from Mysuru (contacts of a pharmaceutical company worker), two each from Bengaluru city, and one from Bidar.
Out of two from Bengaluru- one is a doctor while the other is a 10-year-old boy.
"The information that we have as of now the infected doctor was treating a patient who tuned out to be positive," Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare department Jawaid Akhtar said.
Contact tracing has been initiated and is in progress for all the cases, the department said.
Six of the total of 215 cases detected and confirmed in the state so far are transit passengers of Kerala who have landed in airports in Karnataka and are being treated in hospitals in the state.
From across the state, the most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru with 73 cases, followed by Mysuru 47 and Dakshina Kannada 12.
Those discharged include 21 patients from Bengaluru, five from Dakshina Kannada, three from Davangere, two each from Mysuru, Uttara Kannada, Chikkaballapura and Kalaburagi, and one each from Dharwad and Kodagu.
Among the deceased are two from Kalaburagi and one each from Bengaluru, Bagalkote, Gadag and Tumakuru.
A total of 8,560 samples have been collected for testing so far, out of which 585 were collected on Saturday alone.
So far 8,231 samples have tested negative, of which 558 reported negative on Saturday alone.
To a question on whether Karnataka was conducting less number of tests compared to other states, ACS Akhtar said that targets are being set and tests done as per the union government and according to government of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines.
Stating that Karnataka was in fact sending more samples for testing, he said samples of all primary contacts were being sent for tests.
The government, he said, recently decided that all secondary contacts would also undergo tests.
"...we are fortunate that our (coronavirus) growth rate is not much, but we are taking target of more than that is set across the country and conducting tests," he added.
To a question on reports that the state government had submitted to the High Court that as per its projection, Karnataka would have 10,000 COVID-19 cases by April end and also a detailed plan in attending to such big numbers, Akhtar termed it as a misinterpretation of facts and said it should not have happened.
"A large number of questions were framed based on a PIL we submitted to court on how prepared we are for different activities....taking into account a worst possible scenario and projected the number of patients, keeping in view that scenario, preparations were detailed for it. Which was wrongly interpreted," he said.
Suresh Kumar said over 31,494 counselling sessions have been held for the migrant workers for ensuring their mental health.
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