Panaji, Amid a sustained increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Goa, as well as fatalities, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said, that it would henceforth be mandatory for private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent of their ICU beds for COVID management.

"It has been decided to make it mandatory for private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent of beds in their intensive care units exclusively for COVID management," Sawant said on Monday.

The decision he said was taken at a meeting attended by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai and Health Secretary Nila Mohanan to "review and strengthen" COVID management in the state.

Mohanan during a media interaction said, that if there is lack of compliance of the state government directive, the licence of the private hospital could be suspended.

In all, 17 persons have died, even as active cases of Covid-19 neared 1,000 in Goa.