Bengaluru, July 9 (IANS) Karnataka health department is allowing private medical establishments to set up Covid Care Centres (CCCs) to free up beds for moderate and severe cases, an official said on Thursday.

"Private medical establishments will be allowed to establish and manage CCCs.Such arrangement will improve availability of beds in hospitals for those who are moderately or severely affected by COVID-19," said Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.

Private hospitals registered under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) will be allowed to set up the CCCs in collaboration with hotels and lodging facilities.

"Separate registration or permission for such hotels will not be required but such an arrangement shall be duly informed," said Pandey.

The government has capped the treatment prices in the private CCCs under three categories such as budget hotels, three-star hotels and five star hotels.

Maximum charge per day in the budget CCC is Rs 8,000, three-star CCC, Rs 10,000 and five-star CCC Rs 12,000.

During the treatment, hotel staff such as cooks and others should not come in touch with the Covid patients.

"The food delivery personnel and others shall serve Covid positive persons in the rooms under supervision and care Health staff shall monitor health condition of Covid positive persons thrice daily and shall be available round the clock," he said.

All the private hospital CCCs should submit daily reports and update about the patients to the health department even as all other relevant directives issued to CCCs earlier will also apply.