Karnataka Covid cases decline, positive rate falls even as testing ramps up.

Karnataka Covid cases decline, positive rate falls even as testing ramps up.

Karnataka Fresh Covid-On Tuesday, the number of infections decreased by 19 to 252, down from 279 the previous day. The state recorded two fresh deaths, compared to three on Monday. The state's optimism rating also fell, from 4.38 percent to 3.42 percent.

As many as 441 people recovered, increasing the southern state's active caseload to 1,031. Karnataka's overall Covid tally stood at 40.93 lakh. According to the health department's daily bulletin, 172 of the 252 new infections occurred in Bengaluru alone, accounting for 470 active cases in the IT hub.

Hassan had the most cases (20), followed by Mysuru with eight. On Tuesday, there were seven cases in Vijayanagara and six in Raichur, as well as six in Dharwad and Ballari. Chikkamagaluru and Chitradurga each recorded five instances, and 14 districts reported no new cases, up from six the day before. The two deaths occurred in Ballari and Mysuru districts, respectively.

Testing was increased once more, with officials conducting up to 7,359 tests compared to the 6,359 samples checked across the state on Monday. Of these, 6,514 were RT-PCR assays and 845 were Rapid Antigen assays (RATs). The case fatality rate in the state was 0.79 percent.

Of the state's 1,031 Covid-19 patients, 962 were isolated at home, while 69 were hospitalised. Around 50 patients were being treated in normal wards in separate beds, with 19 in the ICU, including one on ventilator support.

The Karnataka Health Department announced last week that Covid-19 cases could reduce in the coming week. The recent increase in instances was seen, particularly with the appearance of the novel subvariant JN.1.