Mumbai’s luxury hotels will soon turn into temporary COVID-19 healthcare centres to treat the patients. This will be a joint effort of the city’s municipal corporation and major private hospitals, reported news agency ANI.

According to the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), major private hospitals will team up with four and five-star hotels to treat patients who need minimum medical care. 

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The hotels will be designated as “step down facilities” and will act as an extension of private hospitals. A minimum of 20 rooms will be reserved for people suffering from COVID-19. They will have medical services available at all times, including doctor consultations, nurses, medicines and ambulance transfer, reported NDTV.

People staying with the patients could be charged up to Rs 6,000. This has been done to ensure more hospital beds for patients who really need it, the NDTV report said quoting BMC officials.

Maharashtra has emerged as India’s worst-hit state by the deadly virus. On Wednesday, the state reported 58,952 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 35,78,160, while 278 new fatalities pushed the toll to 58,804, as per a PTI report. 

Mumbai recorded 9,931 new cases and 54 fatalities, taking the tally to 5,45,195 and the toll to 12,147, it said.