Given the spike in the Covid cases in the steel city and its surrounding areas, the East Singhbhum district health department is creating separate facilities for asymptomatic patients so that beds in designated Covid hospitals can be kept free for serious cases.

On Friday, officials finalised arrangements with Dealers' Hostel in Telco in addition to Uma Superspeciality Hospital on NH-33 in Mango that had earlier refused to open up its facilities to treat those infected with the coronavirus.

A senior official in the district administration said after fresh negotiations with the management of Uma Superspeciality Hospital, it was decided that 100 beds would be earmarked for Covid cases. At Telco Dealers' Hostel, a 50-bed isolation ward has been set up for asymptomatic patients.

Another hospital, St John's Hospital at Bhilai Paharai, also on NH-33, will set aside 40 beds to treat symptomatic Covid patients.

"Earlier, Telco Dealers' Hostel was being used as a quarantine centre. But with coronavirus cases increasing fast, we have converted it into an isolation ward, and started admitting asymptomatic patients there," district civil surgeon R.N Jha told The Telegraph Online.

Jha pointed out that with Uma Superspeciality Hospital now ready to accept asymptomatic patients there would not be a shortage beds to treat Covid patients.

The number of coronavirus positive cases has risen to 623 after 20 more samples tested positive during the past 24 hours. District surveillance officer A.K. Lal said that on an average 300 swab samples of individuals were being tested at the MGM Medical College's virology department.

"Apart from MGM, Tata Main Hospital is also carrying out swab tests at it has an ICMR-approved lab. Swab samples are also being tested at the private PathLab,” he said.