Karnataka reports over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases third time in a week; fatalities plummet
Bengaluru: Karnataka on Sunday reported 10,145 fresh coronavirus cases, the third such occurrence in a week where the single-day infections exceeded the 10,000-mark.
However, the fatalities plummeted significantly to 67 -- from three digits to two digits, the Health Department data showed.
The state had reported the single-day highest number of cases on September 29 with 10,453 cases, which also saw 136 deaths.
Two days later, on October 1, there were 10,070 infections and 130 fatalities.
According to the daily bulletin issued by the Health Department, the cumulative positive cases and fatalities due to coronavirus were 6,40,661 and 9,286 respectively as on Sunday.
The total infections comprised 5,15,782 discharges including 7,287 on Sunday whereas there were 1,15,574 active cases in the state including 847 in ICUs, the department said in the bulletin.
The spike in cases on Sunday was led by Bengaluru Urban with 4,340 fresh cases and 22 deaths.
Cumulatively, the city has reported 2,50,040 infections, 3,067 deaths, 1,92,043 discharges including 2,681 on Sunday and 54,929 active cases.
According to the health bulletin, Mysuru also saw a significant jump in COVID cases with 1,037 infections and 12 deaths.
Cumulatively, the total infections stood at 37,328 and 810 deaths.
The department said 307 cases were reported in Hassan, followed by Ballari (304), Dakshina Kannada (293), Shivamogga (279), Bengaluru Rural (274), Tumakuru (245), Mandya (233), Udupi (231), Belagavi (224) and Chikkamagaluru (227).
COVID-19 cases were reported from other districts including Bagalkote, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Davangere, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, and Kodagu.
The bulletin showed that five deaths occurred in Koppal, followed by four each in Shivamogga and Kodagu, three each in Ballari, Hassan and Tumakuru, and two each in Mandya, Kalaburagi, and Dakshina Kannada.
One fatality each was reported in Bagalkote, Chamarajanagara, Dharwad, Haveri and Vijayapura.
While a majority of those who died were above 50 years of age, there were people in their thirties and forties too who succumbed to the infection.
According to the bulletin, a 17-year-old boy from Bengaluru Urban succumbed to COVID.
There were two people in their twenties, three in their thirties, and seven in their forties who succumbed to the coronavirus.
Most of those who died of coronavirus had Severe Acute Respiratory Illness or Influenza-Like Illness.
The department said as on Sunday that over 2.1 lakh people were home quarantined in the last one week whereas in the past 14 days, 4.89 lakh primary contacts and 4.34 lakh secondary contacts were traced.
There were as many as 85,508 tests done on Sunday including 43,313 Rapid Antigen Detection Tests taking the total tests done so far to 52.60 lakh, the Health department added.
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
