Karnataka health minister Sudhakar on Wednesday confirmed that the state has reported seven cases of the new coronavirus strain.

All seven had returned from the UK and landed in Karnataka in December.

Out of the seven, three are in Bengaluru and four in the Shimoga district. Three primary contacts of the Shimoga cases have also tested positive. Their samples have been sent to test for the new coronavirus strain. All seven positive patients have been put in institutional quarantine.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 recovery rate in the country has touched 95.92 per cent. Total recoveries has reached 98 lakh 7 thousand 5 hundred 69 with 24 thousand 900 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

With 16,432 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, total cases reached 1 crore 2 lakh 24 thousand 3 hundred and three.

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said, 252 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours which has taken the death toll to 1,48153.