COVID-19: Recoveries continue to outnumber fresh infections in Karnataka
Bengaluru, May 19: The number of recoveries continued to outnumber fresh COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, as the state on Wednesday reported 49,953 discharges, 34,281 new cases and 468 fatalities, the Health Department said.
While the total number of infections stood at 23,06,655, the toll was 23,306.
The state on Tuesday had reported a record 58,395 recoveries and 30,309 fresh cases.
Bengaluru Urban registered 11,772 fresh cases today.
The city saw 29,238 discharges.
As of May 19 evening, cumulatively 23,06,655 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 23,306 deaths and 17,24,438 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin.
Total number of active cases in the state stood at 5,58,890.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 26.46 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 1.36 per cent.
Health Minister K Sudhakar said the positivity rate in the state was decreasing and described it as a good sign, as he ruled out any co-relation between decline in the number of testing and positivity rate coming down.
"Despite doing symptomatic tests if the positivity rate is decreasing, it is a good sign," he told reporters.
Conceding that testing has come down, in response to a question, he said "It is not intentional, there were some technical issues, it is being set right."
Concerns have been expressed from various quarters including opposition leaders in the last few days that the testing has come down.
A total of over 2,81,99,718 samples have been tested so far, of which 1,29,538 were tested on Wednesday alone.
Among 468 deaths reported on Wednesday, 218 are from Bengaluru Urban, Ballari (23), Shivamogga and Tumakuru (19), Kalaburagi (18), Koppal, Mysuru and Uttara Kannada (14), Haveri and Belagavi (11), followed by others.
Tumakuru reported 2,427 new cases today, Belagavi 2,234, Mysuru 1,730, Hassan 1,428, Ballari 1,297, Chikkamagaluru 1,047, followed by others.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 10,84,844, followed by Mysuru 1,17,753 and Tumakuru 87,383.
Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban tops the list with 7,22,086, followed by Mysuru 1,00,645 and Tumakuru 57,684.
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Mamata asks TMC nominees not to leave counting centres as EC data shows BJP leading
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged TMC candidates and agents to remain vigilant and not to leave counting centres, alleging that there was a "game plan" by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the saffron party taking a lead in the early trends of counting.
In a video message issued during the counting of votes, the TMC supremo appealed to party workers to stay put and not to lose morale.
"I appeal to everyone that neither TMC candidates nor counting agents should abandon counting centres," she said.
As trends on the Election Commission website indicated the BJP leading in 188 seats against the TMC's 94, Banerjee maintained that her party was still ahead in a significant number of constituencies.
"We are still ahead in 170 seats, but I request everyone not to lose hope," she said, adding that there were "around 70 to 100 seats where we are leading, but they are not sharing the data of those seats".
"A false narrative is being spread," she alleged.
The chief minister accused the Election Commission of "not declaring results or leads" in areas where the TMC was ahead.
"This is a game plan by the EC and the BJP as it (poll panel) is not declaring results or leads in areas where we are leading," she said.
Banerjee also alleged irregularities in the counting process at some locations.
"In several places, counting has been stopped after the first two to three rounds. In Kalyani, we have caught seven machines with severe anomalies," she claimed.
She further alleged that TMC workers were being "harassed with the help of central forces" and that party offices were being "vandalised and forcefully captured".
"With the help of central forces, they are harassing and torturing AITC workers. Our offices have been vandalised," she said, also alleging that voter list revision exercises were "purposefully done to target seats where we were strong".
Seeking to reassure party workers, Banerjee said more rounds of counting were yet to take place and urged them to stay firm.
"Fourteen to eighteen rounds of counting will happen. You will surely emerge victorious. Don't be afraid; fight like tigers," she said.
Her remarks came as counting trends suggested that the BJP was leading in 188 seats and had crossed the halfway mark of 148 in the 294-member assembly, pointing to a potential shift in the state's political landscape.
Counting for 293 constituencies was underway with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes.
Officials cautioned that trends could change as more rounds are counted, and final results would be known later in the day.
জরুরি বার্তা pic.twitter.com/Uc82oihwEL
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 4, 2026
