BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday said a sudden surge in Covid-19 positive cases in Bengaluru for “one or two days” has created some confusion, but the situation is fully under control. Dr Ashwanth Narayan, who is also in charge of Covid Care Centres (CCCs) in the city, said that compared to Mumbai, Chennai and other big cities, the situation in Bengaluru is much better and the government is taking all measures to contain the spread of the virus and also provide treatment to positive patients.   

He said that the Indian Council of Medical Research has warned that the pandemic will reach its peak in October and the government has made all preparations to deal with the crisis. There is no need for panic and people should not leave the city out of fear, he said, asking people to cooperate with the government in containing the virus by following guidelines.

He said the number of laboratories and tests conducted per day has increased significantly over the last few days. The government is also setting up Intensive Care Units (ICUs) at CCCs to ensure immediate treatment for critical patients at the same place. The government is taking all steps to ensure that the pandemic does not reach the community transmission stage in the city, he said. He dismissed allegations from opposition leaders that the government did not take adequate steps during the lockdown.

3,500 beds at pvt hospitals 
 After a meeting with private hospitals, it was decided that 3,500 beds will be set aside for Covid treatment under the centralised bed allocation system. “Apart from beds, private hospitals will also run CCCs in collaboration with hotels to treat asymptomatic and people with mild symptoms. This will add 6,000-7,000 beds,” said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar. The government will procure 1 lakh antigen tests this Saturday and 500 ambulances will be deployed in Bengaluru. Dr C N Manjunath, nodal officer for testing, said that a robot will be deployed at BIEC for specialist doctors to guide juniors.