Record jump of 216 cases in Karnataka takes tally near 2,000

BENGALURU: For the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of fresh infections in the state in 24 hours crossed the 200-mark, as 216 cases were reported on Saturday. With this, the number of infections in the state has touched 1,959. The previous record jump in cases was 149, reported on May 19.

Of the cases reported on Saturday, 195 patients — or 90% — have returned from other states recently. Of this group, 88% or 187 patients, had travelled to Maharashtra, which is among the states worst-hit by the pandemic. The total cases include two returnees each from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and New Delhi and one each from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The disease also claimed its youngest victim in the state: a 32 year-old-man from Bengaluru, suffering from multiple comorbidities including pneumonia and breathing difficulty. He was also extremely weak and died due to cardiac arrest on Saturday. With this, the total number of Covid deaths in the state is 42; two other infected people died of other reasons.
The highest number of cases was reported from Yadgir (72), followed by 40 in Raichur, Mandya (28), Chikkaballapur (26), Gadag (15), and four each from Bengaluru and Hassan among the major contributing districts.