Delhi's iconic Ram Leela Maidan turns into 500-ICU bed facility to treat critical Covid patients

The massive facility was set up in just 15 days, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed in a tweet.

Starting Saturday, the hospital will be functional with 250 beds.

The rest of the beds will be operational two days later, Kejriwal said in a tweet.

"I salute our docs, engineers and workers who worked round the clock on war footing and constructed these 500 ICU beds in just 15 days at Ramlila maidan opp LNJP hospital. 250 ICU beds start tomo and 250 in next two days," tweeted Kejriwal.

In a dip in cases since April 10, the national capital recorded 8,500 fresh Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.

The city's test positivity rate has also dipped to 12 per cent, Kejriwal said during a digital press conference.

Around 3,000 beds have cleared up in the past 10 days, he said, indicating that cases are going down in the city which was badly hit by the second wave.

"Coronavirus cases are going down in Delhi... so is the second wave. With your co-operation the lockdown was successful and we've increased the number of oxygen beds in the past few days. Yesterday we set up 500 new ICU beds near GTB Hospital," the Chief Minister said.

He also added that there is no shortage of oxygen beds and ICU in the city presently.

Delhi is currently under lockdown till May 17 to break the chain of infection.