The COVID-19 ward at the Emergency and Trauma Care Centre at Victoria hospital in Bengaluru wore a festive look on Monday after doctors decided to lift the spirits of patients and celebrated Eid in the ward with COVID-19 patients. 

While the children in the ward took to drawings and games, women turned to mehendi cones sent to the ward. 

There are 96 patients in the ward including 88 people who are asymptomatic and 14 children. It also includes a doctor, a police official and a nurse.

The hospital authorities also provided mats to be used for offering prayers and those who wished to pray were told to maintain physical distance.

S Balaji Pal, Special Officer, Emergency and Trauma Care at the hospital told The Hindu that the patients were happy and that there was a warm atmosphere in the usually gloomy COVID-19 ward on Monday.

Asima Banu, the nodal officer for the Emergency and Trauma Care at the hospital, told Deccan Herald that initially, men and women were kept on separate floors. But after families, couples, parents and senior citizens requested to stay together and since family support is important, the arrangement was changed in the ward. ICU patients however stay in a separate ward. 

Asima says that most patients try to keep themselves busy by reading something that interests them and also talk to each other while supporting each other in their recoveries. 

Karnataka has so far reported 2,182 coronavirus cases while there are currently 1,431 active cases in the state. 274 cases including 114 active cases are from Bengaluru Urban district.