Karnataka's Covid numbers fall, so do tests and vaccination rates

All at once, the state’s Covid-19 case numbers, its testing rates and its vaccination figures are converging onto a new low, the latest data shows

Swab tests to passengers arriving at the BMTC bus stand, after the Karnataka government eased restrictions for travel amid ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V

The state's Covid-19 case numbers, its testing rates and vaccination figures are converging onto a new low, the latest data shows.

According to a 30-day analysis of the data from the daily Covid-19 bulletins, not only has testing hit a new unprecedented low since the start of the second wave, but resulting discoveries of new cases have also come down.

The number of doses being administered statewide has also come down dramatically. Only 1.75 million doses were administered this past week (from 11 to 17 October), which is 20.17 per cent lower than the vaccinations achieved three weeks ago (between 27 September and 3 October).

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Officials told DH that this is due to increasing pockets of vaccine hesitancy being found across the state. They added that the vaccine rate is expected to pick up as more people become eligible for their second dose. The state’s second dose coverage hit 40.33 per cent on Sunday.

When it comes to testing, the state conducted only 6.2 lakh tests last week, which is 18.9 per cent lower than the 7.68 lakh tests conducted a fortnight ago.

New case numbers have also come down. The state found 2,342 new cases this past week (it had found 3,139 cases the week before that). Out of these, 326 new cases were recorded on Sunday, of which 173 (or 53 per cent) were found in Bengaluru Urban. The numbers, coupled with 380 new discharges on Sunday, leave the state’s active caseload at 9,450.

The next highest cases on Sunday were recorded in Mysuru district (42 cases), Dakshina Kannada (22 cases), and Tumakuru district (17 cases).

Also Read | 326 new Covid-19 cases, 4 deaths in Karnataka

Death after longest bout

Four new fatalities were also disclosed in Sunday’s bulletin. Among them was an 80-year-old man who succumbed to the disease after the longest bout - a record 280 days. The patient who is from Mysuru was first diagnosed with the disease on January 6. He died on October 13 at a government hospital. He had symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and also suffered from diabetes and hypertension.

Child cases update

Last week, the state recorded 105 cases of pre-teens (0-9) infected with the novel coronavirus, which is higher than the 98 cases recorded a fortnight ago. In comparison, while the state recorded 379 cases of teens (10-19) this week, this is lower than the 594 cases found two weeks ago.

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