Reeling under the second wave of Covid, Karnataka saw new cases breach the 50,000 mark, including 23,106 in Bengaluru, as per the state health bulletin on Wednesday.

Bengaluru continues to be the worst hit in the state amid reports of acute shortage of beds in hospitals, oxygen shortage and, of course, shortage of Covaxin in Bengaluru forcing those who received the first dose on to streets running from one centre to another in the hope of getting the second vaccine dose. 

"With 50,112 new cases registered on Tuesday, the state's Covid tally shot up to 17,41,046, including 4,87,288 active cases, while recoveries increased to 12,36,854, with 26,841 discharged during the day," said the statement.

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Deaths in Bengaluru

With the new cases, Bengaluru saw its Covid tally rise to 8,63,380, including 3,13,314 active cases so far, while 5,43,059 recovered, with 11,343 discharged in the last 24 hours. A record 346 Covid patients, including 161 in Bengaluru, succumbed to the infection, taking the state's death toll to 16,884 and the city's toll to 7,006.

Among districts where over 1,000 new cases were reported on Tuesday were Mysuru with 2,790, Tumakur with 2,335, Udupi with 1,655, Mandya with 1,621, Haasan with 1,604, Kolar with 1,115, Kalaburagi 009 with 1,097, Bengaluru Rural with 1,033, Dharwad with 1,030 in Dharwad and Chikkamagaluru with 1,009.

Out of 1,55,224 tests conducted across the state during the day, 9,827 were through rapid antigen and 1,45,397 through RT-PCR method. Positivity rate shot up to 32.28 per cent and case fatality rate rose to 0.69 per cent across the state on Tuesday.

Covaxin shortage

Meanwhile, 1,23,413 people, including 50,956 senior citizens above 60 years, 58,778 in the 45-59 years age group and 2,483 in the 18-44 years age group have received the vaccination across the state during the day. But the situation has aggravated in view of the acute shortage of Covaxin, even as the second dose for thousands of those aged 45+ and received it as first dose.

So far, 1,00,72,795 people, including healthcare workers and frontline warriors took the jab since the nationwide vaccination drive was launched on January 16, the bulletin said.

(With additional inputs from the Desk)