Bengaluru records three Covid-19 deaths amidst concerns; Karnataka prepares for increased testing

In Bengaluru, three deaths due to Covid-19 were reported over the past week. However, amidst concerns, health authorities clarified that no instances of JN.1 variant have surfaced in Karnataka. State health department data revealed 22 fresh Covid-19 positive cases on Wednesday.

The city experienced a slight surge, with 30 positive cases on Monday and Tuesday, compared to 29 infections recorded from December 1 to Sunday.

BBMP health officials cautioned against drawing premature conclusions from the recent spike. Yet, in light of the escalating Covid-19 cases in neighboring Kerala, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to commence random Covid tests in the city starting Thursday.


Anticipating a rise in positive cases by the first week of January followed by a decline by the last week of February, the government has set a daily target of 1,500 tests in Bengaluru Urban district. The district administration, in conjunction with BBMP, aims to conduct 1,000 tests daily, comprising 500 from the district and 1,000 from BBMP.

Notably, between December 1 and December 19, 59 Covid-19 positive cases were reported, with around 19 cases concentrated in the eastern part of the city.

The comprehensive testing strategy includes 1,050 RT-PCR tests and 450 rapid antigen tests. An official mentioned, "We have 144 PHCs in the city and can easily meet the target of 1,000 tests. We'll scale up as per the positive cases and leverage Namma Clinics if necessary."

BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath affirmed, "Following the government's guidance, we will conduct tests and collate details of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases from PHCs for the health department's reference."

(With inputs from TOI)