Karnataka reports high number of COVID-19 cases, marginal dip in other southern states

Chennai, July 26: Karnataka reported yet another day of unprecedented COVID-19 cases, but the rest of the southern states with high daily caseloads-Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, saw minor dips compared to the previous days.

However, they recorded high number of daily cases, with the infections in the respective states ranging between over 900 to 7,000 plus cases.

While Karnataka saw yet another highest single day increase of 5,199 cases with 82 deaths on Sunday, the number of cases in Tamil Nadu stood at 6,986, a dip of two cases as compared to Saturday.

Kerala, with 927 cases on July 26, saw a marginal decline against the infections reported on Saturday, at 1103. Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a minor dip on Sunday when compared to the infected persons on Saturday or Friday, but the state still reported cases in excess of 7,000 for the third day.

AP's daily virus load stood at 7,627 on Sunday while it recorded 7,813 cases yesterday. Telangana reported over 1,500 cases, taking the tally past 54,000.

The bulk of infections came from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits. The 5,199 cases in Karnataka on Sunday pushed the overall tally to 96,141 whereas 82 deaths took the fatalities to 1,878, according to the health department.

Bengaluru urban continued its top run with 1,950 new cases. As many 2,088 persons were discharged on Sunday, pushing the total recoveries to 35,838,leading to 58,417 active cases.

Tamil Nadu, second behind Maharashtra in the overall cases, on Sunday reported 6,986 fresh COVID cases, taking the tally to 2,13,723 while the death toll touched 3,494 with 85 fatalities.

While Chennai reported 1,155 cases, the combined new infections in three neighbouring districts of Chengelpet (501), Kancheepuram (363) and Tiruvallur (480) overshot the state capital's count by recording 1,344 positive cases. Chennai accounted for 94,695 of the state's tally of 2,13,723 cases.

The deceased include a 37-day-old baby boy from Tiruvannamalai with low birth weight, a 15-year-old girl and a 28-year-old man. Of the 3,494 fatalities, Chennai's share was 2,011. Active cases stood at 53,703 with 5,471 people getting discharged from various hospitals A total of 1,56,526 patients have got cured.

In Andhra Pradesh, the coronavirus tally touched 96,298 on Sunday as it raced closer to the one lakh mark with the addition of 7,627 new cases. The COVID-19 toll was 1,041 after 56 fresh casualties were reported in the last 24 hours.

A government bulletin said 3,041 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the overall discharges to 46,301.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 48,956. Kerala reported 927 new COVID-19 cases, including 16 health workers on Sunday, taking the infection tally to 18,140.

The state capital Thiruvananthapuram reported 175 cases, followed by Kasaragod 107, Pathnamthitta 91 and Kollam 74, Health minister K K Shailaja said. With two more deaths, the coronavirus toll in the state climbed to 61.

Presently, 9,655 are undergoing treatment for the infection, while 9,302 have recovered so far, including 689 discharged on Sunday. As many as 1,593 new COVID-19 cases and eight deaths were reported in Telangana, taking the tally to 54,059 and the toll to 463, the state government said on Sunday.

Of the fresh cases, GHMC areas accounted for 641, followed by Ranga Reddy district at 171, Warangal Urban 131 and Medchal district 91, a bulletin giving the details as of 8 pm on Saturday said. Union Territory Puducherry's tally of COVID-19 cases was 2,787 on Sunday with 131 people testing positive while two fresh deaths took the toll to 40.

Total active cases stood at 1,102 while 1,645 patients have been discharged from various hospitals so far. The positivity rate in the UT was 20.9 per cent while the rate of fatality was 1.4 per cent, the release said.