Bengaluru: After an ‘artificial’ dip in Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, Karnataka was back in the 9k bracket with 9540 people testing positive on Wednesday, taking the total caseload to 4,21,730. While there were 99470 active cases, the state recorded 128 Covid-related deaths, taking the toll to 6808.
The sudden rise is due to an increase in testing. Strangely the State had tested only 45K plus people on Tuesday and it was scaled up to 70K on Wednesday.
Bengaluru too recorded a spike in numbers with 3419 people testing positive and 41 people succumbing to the virus.
While Ballari, Mysuru and Shivamogga recorded over 500 new cases, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada had over 300 cases.
Meanwhile, despite rising Covid numbers in the state, pubs, clubs and bars in Karnataka registered brisk sales since September 1 following permission to serve alcohol.
“The response has been on expected lines…” said additional commissioner of excise SL Rajendra Prasad.
Data shows 495 of 526 pubs in Karnataka have reopened and the Excise dept expects Sept revenue may reach ₹2,500cr.
The Excise department earned Rs 643 crore through liquor sales as on Monday compared to Rs 515 crore in the same period in August when the business was restricted to takeaway sales.