Bengaluru, Dec 31 (IANS): With 1,217 patients discharged in a day, recoveries continued to outnumber 973 new Covid cases in Karnataka, according to the state's health bulletin on Wednesday.

"With 1,217 patients discharged in the day, recoveries rose to 8,94,834 till date, while 973 new cases on Tuesday increased the state's Covid tally to 9,18,544 so far, including 11,610 active cases," said the bulletin here.

With 7 succumbing to the infection in the last 24 hours, the state's death toll rose to 12,081 since the pandemic broke on March 8.

Bengaluru registered 554 fresh cases, taking its tally to 3,87,832, including 7,534 active cases, while recoveries rose to 3,75,986, with 765 discharged in the last 24 hours

The virus claimed 5 lives in the day, taking the city's death toll to 4,311.

Of the 202 patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) across the southern state, 89 are in Bengaluru hospitals, 12 in Kalaburagi and 10 in Tumakuru district.

Out of 1,03,857 tests conducted in the day, 11,137 were through rapid-antigen detection and 92,720 through RT-PCR method.

Of the 62 UK returnees tested in the day, 2 were positive and 60 were negative.

"Of the total 1,965 UK returnees tested till date, 31 were positive and 1,680 were negative, while results of 248 are awaited," added the bulletin.

Positivity rate for the day was 0.93 per cent and case fatality rate 0.71 per cent across the state.