Bengaluru emerges as new COVID-19 hotspot as positivity rate, deaths increase
May 15, 2021
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 15 : Over the last two weeks, Karnataka has witnessed devastating COVID-19 surge, recording the highest COVID-19 related deaths and a worrying number of new cases.
The state emerged as the country's new COVID-19 hotspot with 5,98,625 active cases, the highest in the country, followed by Maharashtra with 5,21,683 active infections, the union health minister informed.
While cases do seem to be coming down in Bengaluru, the positivity rate remains high - about 38.13 per cent over the last 24 hours.
As per the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on May 6, 23,706 fresh cases were reported, out of 60,944 cases samples that were tested - a positivity rate of about 39.69 per.
Deaths in Bengaluru have also risen over the last few weeks. A total of 6,538 COVID patients had died in the city since the beginning of the pandemic. 162 fatalities were reported on May 1.
By May 11, cumulative deaths rose to 8,691, with 259 daily deaths.
On Thursday, only 44,799 tests were conducted in the city and 24,732 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered.
Out of the 5,98,625 active cases in Karnataka, 3,60,862 are concentrated in Bengaluru.
More than 500 positive cases were found in 198 wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Meanwhile, Karnataka received a fresh stock of 75,000 doses of COVID vaccines on Friday, informed the state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, adding that that state had so far received 1,10,49,470 doses of vaccines, out of which 99,58,190 doses were of Covishield and 10,91,280 doses of Covaxin.
