<p>With the upsurge of COVID-19 cases over the past few days across Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, and with experts warning of a steep spike in cases by July-August, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has ramped up surveillance and readied a contingency plan to face what could be its worst outbreak. On Friday too, Bengaluru witnessed 36 new cases, taking the city’s tally to 290.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/coronavirus-live-news-covid-19-latest-updates.html" target="_blank">CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</a></strong></p>.<p>Taking a cue from New Delhi, Maharashtra and Kerala, the civic body is on the lookout for open spaces to set up ‘field hospitals’ or temporary medical facilities to tackle a possible outbreak. BBMP commissioner B H Anil Kumar said, “As part of the contingency plans, we are counting on four places — Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Tumakuru Road, Tripuravasini in Palace Grounds and Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation (KTPO) exhibition hall in Whitefield to set up field hospitals.”</p>.<p>Anil Kumar said these field hospitals are in addition to the existing dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. “Victoria Hospital is a 1,000-bed facility, which is yet to reach its capacity. A day ago, we even converted Bowring Hospital as a designated COVID facility and two floors will be used only for COVID-19 cases. In case of a big outbreak, the new facilities will be set up,” Anil Kumar said.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-india-now-stands-in-the-6th-position-globally-as-tally-spikes-over-257-lakh-toll-crosses-7100-846670.html" target="_blank"><strong>For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</strong></a></p>.<p>The BBMP will also consider allowing treatment of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at home under strict surveillance and nutrition management by an expert panel of doctors. “In some countries with a surge in cases, this has been effectively put to use. If you have a well ventilated and dedicated space and supply of nutritious food, cases can be treated at home,” he pointed.</p>.<p>However, the commissioner clarified that the rise in containment zones in the city had nothing to do with the experts’ warning. Containment zones, which numbered around 30 in the city a few weeks ago, have shot up to 116. “This does not indicate new clusters. It is only because we have changed the definition of containment zones that there has been a gradual increase. From declaring an area of one km radius to an entire street as a containment zone initially, now we only consider the house of the infected person as the containment area. This has added to the list,” Anil Kumar explained.</p>
<p>With the upsurge of COVID-19 cases over the past few days across Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, and with experts warning of a steep spike in cases by July-August, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has ramped up surveillance and readied a contingency plan to face what could be its worst outbreak. On Friday too, Bengaluru witnessed 36 new cases, taking the city’s tally to 290.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/coronavirus-live-news-covid-19-latest-updates.html" target="_blank">CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</a></strong></p>.<p>Taking a cue from New Delhi, Maharashtra and Kerala, the civic body is on the lookout for open spaces to set up ‘field hospitals’ or temporary medical facilities to tackle a possible outbreak. BBMP commissioner B H Anil Kumar said, “As part of the contingency plans, we are counting on four places — Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Tumakuru Road, Tripuravasini in Palace Grounds and Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation (KTPO) exhibition hall in Whitefield to set up field hospitals.”</p>.<p>Anil Kumar said these field hospitals are in addition to the existing dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. “Victoria Hospital is a 1,000-bed facility, which is yet to reach its capacity. A day ago, we even converted Bowring Hospital as a designated COVID facility and two floors will be used only for COVID-19 cases. In case of a big outbreak, the new facilities will be set up,” Anil Kumar said.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-india-now-stands-in-the-6th-position-globally-as-tally-spikes-over-257-lakh-toll-crosses-7100-846670.html" target="_blank"><strong>For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</strong></a></p>.<p>The BBMP will also consider allowing treatment of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at home under strict surveillance and nutrition management by an expert panel of doctors. “In some countries with a surge in cases, this has been effectively put to use. If you have a well ventilated and dedicated space and supply of nutritious food, cases can be treated at home,” he pointed.</p>.<p>However, the commissioner clarified that the rise in containment zones in the city had nothing to do with the experts’ warning. Containment zones, which numbered around 30 in the city a few weeks ago, have shot up to 116. “This does not indicate new clusters. It is only because we have changed the definition of containment zones that there has been a gradual increase. From declaring an area of one km radius to an entire street as a containment zone initially, now we only consider the house of the infected person as the containment area. This has added to the list,” Anil Kumar explained.</p>
