3,156 new COVID-19 cases, 31 deaths in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Karnataka reported 3,156 new cases of COVID-19 and 31 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 8,38,929 and the toll to 11,312, the health department said on Thursday.
The day also saw 5,723 patients getting discharged after recovery, leaving 33,095 active cases.
Of the fresh cases, as many as 1,627 cases were from Bengaluru urban district alone.
As of November 5 evening, cumulatively 8,38,929 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state and it included 11,312 deaths and 7,94,503 discharges, the health department said in a bulletin.
Of active cases, 32,179 patients were in isolation at designated hospitals and stable, while 916 in intensive care units (ICUs), it said.
Nine out of a total of 31 deaths reported on Thursday were from Bengaluru Urban and most of the diseased had a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI).
Tumakuru reported the second-highest number of fresh cases, followed by Mysuru 169, Hassan 138, Chikkaballapura, and Mandya 103 while the rest were in other districts.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 3,45,134 infections, followed by Mysuru 48,393 and Ballari 37,499.
Among recoveries too Bengaluru Urban tops the list with a total of 3,24,491 discharges, followed by Mysuru 46,229 and Ballari 36,320.
A total of 84,04,516 samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,16,337 on Thursday alone, the bulletin added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Anbumani asks PM Modi to ban sale of cigarettes for those born after 2009
Chennai (PTI): PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take legislative measures to prohibit smoking and the sale of cigarettes to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, thereby creating a smoke-free generation.
Anbumani, former Union minister for health and family welfare, said, "Once implemented, it (ban on cigarettes) will ensure that future generations are legally prevented from ever accessing tobacco products", he said in a letter to Modi.
"I write to you with a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, drawing your kind attention to a critical public health issue that continues to endanger the lives of millions of Indians, particularly among the younger generation who are affected by cigarette smoking", he claimed.
Stating that India unfortunately bears a disproportionately high burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, he said, adding that, according to global health estimates, nearly 267 million Indians, approximately one in five citizens, use tobacco.
"Each year, tobacco consumption directly accounts for over 1.35 million deaths, while exposure to second-hand smoke contributes to a total of approximately 2.3 million deaths annually", he said, adding, "these figures are alarming and reflect a public health crisis of immense magnitude".
He pointed out that Scientific evidence unequivocally establishes tobacco use as a leading cause of cancer and numerous non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular ailments, chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, and multiple forms of malignancies. "In India alone, tobacco is responsible for nearly 40–50 per cent of all cancer cases, with over 4.7 lakh deaths annually attributed to tobacco-induced cancers", he added.
"In this context, I strongly urge the Union government to consider enacting a transformative law similar to that of the United Kingdom, that permanently prohibits the sale and consumption of tobacco products for individuals born on or after a specified year (such as 2009). Such a generational ban would mark a decisive step towards eliminating tobacco use in India over time", he said.
