Karnataka on Thursday recorded highest single-day tally of Covid-19 cases at 2,228 with Bengaluru Urban alone accounting for a whopping 1,373 fresh infections.
Thursday's cases took the state tally past 30,000-mark (to be precise 31,105). The state reported 17 Covid fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking its toll to 486.
While Dakshina Kannada witnessed 167 new cases as many as 21 districts saw cases in two digits with three of them reporting more than 50 cases.
On the bright side, 957 patients were discharged post recovery across the state.
According to the Health department's bulletin, a total of 18,952 samples were tested for Covid-19 on Thursday.
Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar told reporters, "30,000 to 40,000 samples will be tested through antigen test kits in Bengaluru. The city's mortality rate is currently 1.28%."
The minister admitted that contact tracing was not as robust as before. "Looks like BBMP workers are exhausted," he said.
On the facilities available for asymptomatic Covid patients in the city, the minister said, five Covid Care Centres in the city have 2,088 beds, including 552 beds in Karnataka Haj Bhavan.
Engg college hostels on standby
The covid care centre (CCC) will soon be operational at UHS boys hostel, GKVK campus, UHS girls hostel, Koramangala indoor stadium, Gnanabharathi, Gnanabharathi girls hostel, and police quarters complex, KR Puram. The Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) will be tentatively opened by July 17 or latest by July 21, Sudhakar said.
This apart, hostels of PES College, RV Engineering College, BGS Engineering College, RNSIT College, Dayananad Sagar University and Palace Grounds have been kept on standby. These centres can provide 5,640 more beds, the minister said.