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Bengaluru, jul 6: With coronavirus cases surging and hospitals saturated with patients, the Karnataka government is setting up intensive care units (ICUs) at COVID Care Centres (CCC) in the state for severe cases needing oxygen, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said on Sunday.

Covid Care Centres are usually meant for patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

"Initially, 10 ICUs will be set up at every CCC in Bengaluru and in other cities and towns across the state subsequently," Narayan said in a statement in Bengaluru.

The state government has set up CCCs at the GKVK campus, the Haj Bhavan and the Art of Living Foundation campus in the city so far. The government has also set up a more than 10,000 bed CCC facility in BIEC, on Tumkur road, on the outskirts of the city.

"About 100 ICUs will be set up soon at the new CCCs opened at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Ayurveda College, and Koramangala Indoor Stadium," said Narayan.

The sprawling BEIC in the city's northwest will soon have 10,100 beds for treating Covid patients and asymptomatic cases from state-run hospitals.

The state government has also relieved all Health Department employees from administrative and non-medical duties to depute them at the CCCs.

On complaints about the poor quality of food served to Covid patients and the medical staff, Narayan warned the vendors of cancelling their contracts if they did not supply good quality food as per the guidelines.

The minister also directed the Health Department to ensure adequate supply of drugs and medical equipment to all CCCs and state-run hospitals for treating Covid patients.

With a record 1,925 new cases reported on Sunday, the state's tally touched 23,474, including 13,251 active after 9,847 were discharged (including 603 on Sunday), while 372 succumbed to the infection since March 9, with 37 more deaths on Sunday.

Of the total cases across the state, Bengaluru accounted for 1,235, taking its tally to 9,580, including 8,167 while 145 died so far.

Kalaburagi, Jun 16: Stones were pelted by villagers at an ambulance and a vehicle of health department at Tanda village here, which was fetching 15 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 to a hospital for treatment.

"A medical team along with some police personnel had gone to the Tanda village to bring 15 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 to a hospital for treatment on Monday," Lada Martin Marbaniang, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kalaburagi said.

"The medical team had an argument with villagers, which turned violent and those people started pelting stones at the ambulance and a vehicle of the health department," the SP said.

"On getting information, we rushed more security forces to the village. I visited the spot and spoke to a few leaders. Subsequently, we were able to convince them and all of them were brought to the hospital. A case has been registered against violent offenders," he added.