Kerala, which has set a model in countering Covid-19, has already kept ready 147 corona-care facilities for isolating 21,866 persons at a time by converting hostel rooms and government institutions. This is to face any community outbreak of the virus.
At present only around 350 persons are in hospital isolation, while nearly 60,000 persons are in home isolation. But the state has prepared for isolation facilities after experts cautioned about community spread.
Kerala has also prepared about 5,500 hospital isolation beds and 218 intensive care beds in government and private hospitals under Plan A, B and C even as the number of those in hospital isolation is now around 325 only.
Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said that more private institutions have offered buildings to set up corona-care facilities.
The corona-care facilities are mainly intended at isolating those who come from other countries or states and do not have any home isolation facility. Moreover, in case of any community spread of the virus, home isolation would not be feasible, and these facilities can be used.
As soon as the first coronavirus-positive case in Kerala was reported on January 30, the Kerala government had prepared Plan A and B identifying abut 1,000 and 1,500 hospital isolation beds. Plan C comprising 3,028 more hospital isolation facilities was prepared when five persons were found infected in the Pathanamthitta district. But only Plan A is being executed in the state so far, said the minister.