Thirteen new cases of COVID-19 were reported, taking the total number of infections to 614 in Karnataka, the government said, as it announced free bus services for three days from Sunday in a bid to help people, including large number of labourers, stranded within the state due to lockdown.
Karnataka will have more recovered cases than active cases soon, top government officials said.
According to a bulletin by the state health department as of 5 pm on May 3, cumulatively 614 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes 25 deaths and 293 discharges.
Out of 295 active cases, 292 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 3 are in ICU.
Officials said, "in few days Karnataka will have more recovered cases than active cases". With the gap between the two narrowing (just two short as on Sunday).
A total of 22 patients who have recovered, have been discharged on Sunday.
Announcing free bus service, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said the expenses will be borne by the government and appealed to the people to make use of the opportunity that will be available till Tuesday and not to create rush at bus stands.
"Keeping in mind the situation of poor labourers, for three days from today, free KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) bus facilities will be made available for those travelling to their native places in Karnataka from various district headquarters and capital Bengaluru city," the Chief Minister said in a statement.
Thousands of labourers on Saturday expressed their inability to pay the higher fare that was fixed for commuting in KSRTC buses.
However, following the intervention of the Chief Minister later it was decided to charge single fare tariff for workers travelling by KSRTC buses within the state.
In further relief, Yediyurappa issued orders on Sunday making it free travel.
Officials are ensuring that the needy get the benefit of free travel, sources said.
Meanwhile, a large group of migrant workers including 1,190 from Odisha left to their respective states from the city on Sunday.
Among thirteen new cases reported on Sunday, six are from Kalaburagi, four from Bengaluru urban, and three Bagalakote district.
While seven are contacts of patients already tested positive, two each are with history of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), one who had been to containment zone in Bengaluru, and the other's contact is under investigation.
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 149 cases, followed by Mysuru 88 and Belagavi 71.
Out of total 293 patients discharged so far maximum 75 are from Mysuru, 72 from Bengaluru urban, eighteen from Kalaburagi.
A total of 74,898 samples were tested so far, out of which 5,168 were tested on Sunday alone.
So far 70,998 samples have reported as negative, and out of them 4,523 were reported negative on Sunday.
The government today said, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Ramanagara, Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts will be treated as a single unit for the purpose of movement during day time between 7 am to 7 pm to undertake permitted activities only with the production of letter from the company or organisation they are working in and the official Identity Card.
Hence, no other inter-district passes will be required to move across these districts.
However, for other districts, inter-district movement passes for permitted activities will be required, which will be issued by local administrations, it said, no inter-district passes shall be issued for non-permitted activities except on one-time basis for stranded persons.
Meanwhile, armed forces on Sunday acknowledged the efforts of "corona warriors" in Karnataka in the fight against the pandemic with Indian Air Force helicopters showering flower petals on hospitals and the IAF band made a presentation.
While, INS Vikramaditya ship, which is at Anchorage off Karwar coast was illuminated; there was a flypast by transport aircraft at C 130 J Hercules over Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here, as a mark of respect to front line COVID-19 workers.
The Chief Secretary has issued a circular, that 100 per cent staff from all the offices of the Departments mentioned as essential services should report to the duty from May 4 in the three Red Districts- Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural and Mysuru; while all Group A and B officers and 33 per cent of group C and D staff in respect of other departments in red zone districts will attend work.
Hundred per cent staff of all offices in all other Orange and Green Zones Districts, should report to duty from May 4, it said.
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