UDUPI: A steady rise in positive cases is a matter of concern for the Udupi district, but a mortality rate of just 0.85 per cent comes as some relief.

Dr Prashanth Bhat, Nodal Officer for Covid-19 in the district, informed that the increase in tests is revealing more positive cases, but the early testing has also helped check the mortality rate.

With the number of asymptomatic Covid patients rising in the district, testing has also been accordingly increased.

However, late reporting of symptomatic patients to hospitals has resulted in ventilator demand shooting up, while the number of people requiring treatment in ICUs and HDUs (high dependency units) is also rising.

The district, however, is prepared to tackle the case spike.

The government has already instructed private hospitals to reserve 50 per cent of beds to treat Covid-19 patients.

Those who do get admitted to hospitals through these reserved beds can avail free treatment for Covid, with the government footing the bills.

Others who get admitted as walk-in patients will have to afford the treatment on their own.

Udupi DC G Jagadish said that about 500 beds have been reserved for Covid patients in the district across various government and private hospitals.

This is an arrangement to treat those who reach the critical stage of infection.

“There is no dearth of beds to treat the Covid patients in the district,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Shashikiran Umakanth, Nodal Officer, Dr TMA Pai Covid Hospital, said that increasing the number of ventilators is not enough, as experts are also required to handle them.