Jan 14: 28,723 new COVID cases in Karnataka; 20,121 in Bengaluru Urban
Bengaluru, Jan 14: Karnataka on Friday reported 28,723 new cases of COVID-19, including 20,121 in Bengaluru Urban, as it recorded the highest number of tests since the beginning of the pandemic at over two lakh.
There were 14 new fatalities (Bengaluru - seven), the Health Department said in a bulletin.
"Highest testing since the beginning of pandemic with 2.21 lakh tests today," State Health and Medical Education Mnister K Sudhakar tweeted on Friday.
Positivity rate stood at 12.98 per cent in the State, where there were 1,41,337 active cases, including close to 1.01 lakh in the city.
Sudhakar said although the cases are increasing by the day, only about five to six per cent are getting hospitalised.
"However, it is a matter of concern that nursing staff are getting infected. So we should not be complacent as it may overwhelm our health infrastructure", he said.
Experts have opined that the third wave in the State may peak by February first week and start receding by third or fourth week of next month, according to him.
Noting that week-end restrictions have been enforced from last week, the Minister said: "We can't expect the infection to reduce in seven days. In the first two waves we needed at least 14 days to break the chain. It is lesser in this wave, but the infection is spreading 5-6 times faster".
"We will get to see the result of week-end curfew in the next few days", Sudhakar added.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
