Bengaluru, Mar 26 (IANS): Riding on the second wave, new Covid cases crossed the 2,500-mark in Karnataka after 4 months, with 1,623 of them from Bengaluru, said the state health bulletin on Thursday.

"With 2,523 new cases registered on Wednesday, the state's Covid tally shot up to 9,78,478, including 18,207 active cases, while 9,47,781 recovered, with 1,192 discharged in the last 24 hours," said the daily bulletin.

As the epicentre of the virus, Bengaluru reported 1,623 fresh cases, taking its Covid tally to 4,22,859, including 12,472 active cases, while 4,05,817 recovered, with 665 discharged during the day.

Of the 10 lives lost to the infection, 6 are from Bengaluru, 2 from Mysuru and 1 each from Ballari and Belagavi, taking the state's death toll to 12,471 since the pandemic broke in mid-March last year.

Of the 150 Covid patients in intensive care units (ICUs), 51 are in Bengaluru hospitals, 17 in Kalaburagi and 12 each in Bidar and Mandya, with the rest spread in the remaining 27 districts across the state.

Out of 1,08,396 tests conducted during the day, 6,414 were through rapid-antigen detection and 1,01,982 through RT-PCR method

Positivity rate for the day was 2.32 per cent and case fatality rate 0.39 per cent across the state on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 35,531 people were vaccinated across the state during the day.

Among the beneficiaries, 23,106 were senior citizens above 60 years of age, 9,579 comorbid in the 45-59 age group, 1,089 healthcare workers and 1,757 frontline warriors.

Cumulatively, 30,44,524 people have received the jab since the vaccine drive was launched on January 16 across the southern state.