The positivity rate in Karnataka rose to 22.77 per cent
Karnataka reported 50,210 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, two days after the state lifted the weekend curfew that had been imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Presently, there are as many over 3.57 lakh active cases in the state.
Karnataka reported more cases today than Maharashtra, which has been the hardest-hit state in the last one month. Maharashtra reported 48,270 new COVID-19 cases and 52 deaths on Friday.
Of the 50,210 new cases, 26,299 were reported in the state's capital Bengaluru, informed Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar. In the same period, Maharashtra's capital Mumbai reported 2,550 new COVID-19 cases.
The positivity rate, the number of cases detected per 100 tests, in the state rose to 22.77 per cent from 19.33 per cent.
On Saturday, the state had reported 42,470 new infections, which was about 5,500 fewer than Friday's tally.
In Karnataka, 22,842 recoveries from the virus and 19 Covid deaths have also been reported in the last 24 hours.
The state government had on Friday announced that the weekend curfew would be lifted saying that even though the cases were increasing, hospitalisation was not significant.
The surge in fresh infections across the country is driven by the new variant of Covid, Omicron.
Mr Sudhakar informed that 165 new cases of Omicron have been confirmed in Bengaluru today, taking the overall tally in the state to 931.