The district administration has begun the process of treating asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at COVID Care Centres (CCC).
Apart from the district designated COVID-19 hospital, symptomatic patients will be treated in taluk hospitals and some private hospitals.
These steps are being taken after a sudden spurt in the infection this week, taking the number of positive cases to three times the number of beds available at the district hospital’s COVID-19 ward.
Treatment of COVID-19 positive persons at taluk hospitals has started at Gokak, Ramdurg, Bailhongal, and Saundatti. A similar method will be adopted in six other taluks. A total of 300 beds have been earmarked in 10 taluk hospitals, all with oxygen supply. The number of beds in the district designated COVID-19 hospital has been increased to 350.
Officials have set up CCCs at government-run residential schools in towns across the district. A total of 768 beds will be available at 12 CCCs. Asymptomatic persons between the age of 10 and 50 will be sent to CCCs.
At the CCCs, a person will get free food and other provisions for 10 days. At both taluk hospitals and CCCs, doctors and paramedical staff will attend on patients.
The government will rope in private hospitals that have offered to provide COVID-19 care to patients. One CCC has been set up at SJV Ayurvedic Medical College in Bailhongal.
Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath told journalists in Belagavi on Saturday that 33,271 persons have been tested, out of which 28,953 have turned to be negative. As of Saturday, there have been 795 positive cases and 407 persons have been discharged. The district has only 367 active cases at the district hospital.
In the next phase, officers will refer all asymptomatic cases for home quarantine. “We have a total bed capacity of 1,418 in the district now. If the cases increase, especially asymptomatic ones, we will refer them for home quarantine as per the State government protocol,” said Mr. Hiremath. On Saturday, Zilla Panchayat CEO K.V. Rajendra and Mr. Hiremath visited CCCs and other facilities in high-risk taluks and spoke to the staff on duty.
No lockdown for now
There is no proposal before the district administration for a district-wide lockdown, Mr. Hiremath said.
An order for lockdown in five high-risk taluks has been issued. But there is no proposal for a district-wide lockdown, he said. To a question, he said a decision on imposing lockdown in the district would be taken after a review meeting by district in-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Monday.