42,470 COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jan 22: Karnataka on Saturday reported a substantial dip in its COVID-19 upsurge with 42,470 fresh infections, which was about 5,500 cases less than Friday's tally, the health department said.
However, the fatalities increased from 22 on Friday to 26 today, taking the death toll due to 38,563, the health department said.
The state had recorded 48,049 fresh infections on Friday.
In its bulletin, the department said 35,140 people were discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 30,98,432. Active cases stood at 3,30,447.
The dip in cases was due to reduction in infections in Bengaluru urban to 17,266 from 29,068 on Friday.
Other districts reported fresh cases including 4,601 in Mysuru, 3,417 in Tumakuru, 2,679 in Hassan, 1,822 in Mandya, 1,417 in Kolar and 958 in Bengaluru Rural district.
There were zero fatalities in 17 districts.
The positivity and case fatality rates for the day were at 19.33 per cent and 0.06 per cent, respectively.
A total of 2,19,699 samples were tested in the state including 1,70,637 RT-PCR tests on Saturday, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined to 6.33 crore.
There were 1,79,816 inoculations done, taking the total vaccinations so far to 9.31 crore, the department said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
