This time, we won’t shut Covid-19 care centres: BMC

A Covid-19 care centre for asymptomatic patients at a banquet hall in Dongri. File pic

Although hardly 10 per cent of the beds are occupied at active quarantine centres (CCC1s, for high-risk contacts) and CCC2s for asymptomatic patients the BMC won't be shutting them like it did after the first Covid-19 wave abated last year. The centres will remain as buffers for the future.

The step comes amid the warning of a third wave. Right now, cases in the second wave are at their lowest. The city has recorded less than a thousand patients throughout this week so far and the number of active patients has come down to 16,580 from 92,000 in the second week of April. The capacity of active CCC1s is 8,195, of which only 890 beds are occupied.

The CCC2s with a capacity of 7,594 have only 1,065 beds occupied, merely 14 per cent of the total capacity.

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"Last year, after the cases started declining, many objected to the cost of keeping the centres active. The BMC then ordered the shutting of many centres. But later in the second wave, we had to open them again. So this time, the corporation doesn't want to take any risk amid the warning of a third Covid-19 wave," said a senior officer with the BMC.

"There are less than 10 people in our quarantine centres (CCC1) and around 20 asymptomatic patients in the CCC2 in L ward.

But we haven't shut down any of the unoccupied centres. This is part of the precautionary measures ahead of the anticipated third wave," said a civic official.

"We have kept many CCC1s and CCC2s ready as buffers. They can be opened within a day or two when required," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner.