For the first time in nearly three months, Bengaluru recorded less than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases with 985 cases being reported on June 15. This accounted for just less than 20% of the 5,041 cases recorded in Karnataka on the day. The last time Bengaluru recorded less than 1,000 cases was on March 22 when the city recorded 886 cases. In the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bengaluru recorded as many as 26,756 cases in a day (on April 30). The city has also recorded more than 10,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 in this period.
The weekly average test positivity rate in Bengaluru fell to 2.79% this week (considered to June 8-14). At its peak (May 4-10), the positivity rate in the city was 38.53%. The state Karnataka on Tuesday reported 5,041 fresh infections and 115 deaths. Out of 115 deaths reported on Tuesday, 26 were from Mysuru, 16 from Bengaluru Urban, eight from Dharwad, seven in Davangere, six in Hassan. Ballari, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada reported five deaths each, followed by others.
Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Hassan had 522; Mysuru, 490; Dakshina Kannada, 482; and Tumakuru, 329. The total number of active COVID-19 cases in the state is 1,62,282. While the positivity rate for the state on the day stood at 3.80%, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 2.28 %. The samples tested on the day were 1.32 lakh.
Bengaluru has recorded over 11 lakh COVID-19 cases in the pandemic. But with the cases dropping below 1,000 for the first time since March and the test positivity rate plateauing below 3%, there are signs that the lockdown in the city will be relaxed when it ends on June 21. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has said that a decision on the lockdown will be communicated in the next few days.