COVID-19: 2,960 new cases in Karnataka, 35 deaths
Bengaluru: The COVID-19 tally in Karnataka rose to 8.41 lakh and the toll to 11,347 on Friday with the addition of 2,960 cases and 35 deaths, the health department said.
There were 33,319 active cases in the state after the discharge of 2,701 patients following recovery.
As of November 6 evening, cumulatively 8,41,889 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 11,347 deaths and 7,97,204 discharges, the department said in a bulletin.
It said 32,418 patients were stable in isolation at designated hospitals while 901 in the intensive care units.
Bengaluru Urban district continued to remain the worst hit by the deadly virus, adding 1,568 infections and 12 deaths on Friday.
Tumakuru 161 cases, Mysuru 148, Mandya 119 were the other districts that clocked fresh cases in excess of 100.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list in positive cases, with a total of 3,46,702 infections, followed by Mysuru 48,541 and Ballari 37,565.
The state capital also stood first in the number of discharges aggregating 3,25,322, followed by Mysuru 46,444 and Ballari 36,387.
A total of over 85,14,653 samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,10,137 were on Friday. Of them, 27,098 were rapid antigen tests, the bulletin added.
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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.
