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Coronavirus

Bangalore opens the largest Covid-19 care center in India

The state's government has opened the largest Covid-19 treatment center in India as coronavirus cases spike across the country.

A health worker collects a swab sample of a policeman to test for the COVID-19 coronavirus, from an ambulance at a police station in Kolkata on July 28, 2020. - A health worker wearing a protective suit walks in a police station to collect swab samples fr
DIBYANGSHU SARKARAFP

India's largest Covid-19 care center has been inaugurated at the Bangalore International Exhibit Center (BIEC) by the Karnataka government, at the same time as the state reported fresh 5,324 Covid-19 cases on Monday.

The center will include 10,100 beds for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients when working at full capacity, but currently only has 1,536 beds available as it has not yet been fully furnished. The remaining beds are expected to be set up within a few days.

Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan, who was present at the inauguration of the center, stated that the quality of the beds was never a matter of debate despite this issue raising some questions recently. “Nowhere have we [government[ compromised on quality," he said. 

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Covid-19 patients to be admitted from 30 July

As of Thursday patients will be admitted to the medical facility with more beds being prepared: "We have 400 beds in the city which we will get over by Monday night. All asymptomatic patients will be sent to BIEC from Tuesday," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said. 

1,500 beds will be allocated to medical staff including doctors and paramedics who contracted the virus in the line of duty. Ashwath Narayan announced that bed capacity will increase to exceed 10,000. 

Karnataka has reported 96,141 cases so far with 1,878 fatalities.