Bengaluru, Dec 26: Karnataka on Tuesday reported 74 fresh cases of Covid-19 and two coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours. This takes the total number of active cases in the state to 464, a Health bulletin said.

With this, the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in the state after the recent spike in cases stands at 9.

According to the bulletin issued by the Health department, in the last 24 hours, as many as 44 patients have been discharged and a total of 6,403 tests have been conducted including 4,680 RT-PCR and 1,723 Rapid Antigen tests. Positivity rate stands at 1.15 per cent while case fatality rate stands at 2.70 per cent.

The maximum number of tests were conducted in Bengaluru. Out of the 2,104 tests conducted, 57 have been found positive for the virus, which is the highest as compared to other districts of the state.

ALSO READ: Mask-up, follow COVID appropriate behaviour: Karnataka govt

The two deceased were aged 51. One of them was admitted in Dakshina Kannada with symptoms of fever, cough and breathlessness on December 22. He had severe acute respiratory infection and died on December 23. He was not vaccinated. The other patient was admitted in Mysuru with symptoms of cough and breathlessness on December 20 and died on December 25. He also had a severe acute respiratory infection but was vaccinated, the bulletin stated.

As of Tuesday, the total active cases reported in the state stands at 464. Out of these, 423 people are in home isolation while the remaining 41 are hospitalised. Among those hospitalised, 16 have been admitted to ICU and 25 are admitted in the general ward, it added.

Amid a spike in cases and detection of JN.1 infections in the state, the Karnataka government's cabinet sub-committee on coronavirus have advised people to wear masks, not send children with symptoms to schools, adhere to COVID appropriate behaviour like social distancing, seven days home isolation and leave for infected patients.

It has also decided to administer "precautionary vaccine" for the aged and those with comorbidities and to get 30,000 doses of Corbevax vaccine from the Centre for this purpose.

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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.