40 hotels, 80 banquet halls to be converted to COVID-19 facilities with 20K more beds

Delhi government has directed district magistrates and or officials concerned to set up nearly 20,000 more beds within a week in wake of a spurt in COVID-19 cases in national capital, an official said.

According to official, around 40 hotels and 80 banquet halls will be converted into health facilities to provide medical care to coronavirus-infected people.

COVID-19 tally has reached nearly 39,000 in Delhi and virus has claimed more than 1,200 lives so far in capital.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal h said that Delhi would need 1.5 lakh beds by July 31 if people from or states start coming to national capital for treatment.

Following government's order, rthwest district ministration has issued an order to convert 22 banquet halls into health facilities where around 3,300 beds will be set up by authorities.

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"As per plan, banquet halls will be attached to nursing homes while in hotels, extended services of hospitals will be provided," official said.

According to Delhi Corona app, out of 9,850 beds available in city, 5,448 were occupied at 7 pm on Sunday while 4,402 beds were vacant.

"Hotels will have 4,000 beds while banquets halls will have 11,000 beds. Nursing homes will have 5,000 beds," official said.

With COVID-19 cases increasing alarmingly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday anunced that testing will be doubled in Delhi in next two days and subsequently increased by three times.

In view of short of beds for coronavirus-infected patients in Delhi, central government has decided to immediately provide 500 railway coaches which will be equipped with all facilities, he said. 

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