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Business News/ News / India/  Chhattisgarh town extends lockdown by 5 days
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Chhattisgarh town extends lockdown by 5 days

Durg district collector Sarveshwar Bhure said, 'Lockdown in Durg extended for 5 days, till 19th April'

A health worker takes a swab sample from a worker for a RT-PCR Covid-19 coronavirus test at a construction site in Chennai on April 10, 2021. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (AFP)Premium
A health worker takes a swab sample from a worker for a RT-PCR Covid-19 coronavirus test at a construction site in Chennai on April 10, 2021. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (AFP)

The district administration of Durg in Chattisgarh has extended the lockdown in Durg for another five days. Durg district collector Sarveshwar Bhure said,"Lockdown in Durg extended for 5 days, till 19th April," according to news agency ANI.

On the rise of covid-19 cases in Chattisgarh, state Health Minister TS Singh Deo said," It's a critical situation. There is a surge in cases, positivity ratio has also increased. Can't say if malfunctioned ventilators were deliberately sent by the Centre, but some ventilators are still not working."

The minister when asked about morgues being overflow with bodies of COVID-19 victims, he said," Health department's responsibility is to look after the patients, we can't make other arrangements. I spoke with the district administration about it. More arrangements have been made to keep dead bodies."

Bodies of COVID-19 victims have been piling up in mortuaries and crematoriums in Raipur, as the Chhattisgarh administration struggles to deal with the sudden surge in cases of the viral infection and fatalities.

In some videos on social media, bodies were seen lying on stretchers outside the mortuary of Raipur's Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Hospital (DBRAMH), the state's biggest government-run hospital, and last rites of victims being performed from morning till late night in crematoriums here.

Talking to PTI on Tuesday, state Health Minister T S Singh Deo said the overall situation is "very concerning" and the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths has posed a challenge for authorities.

"The district administration and the municipal corporation have been asked to ensure the bodies are cremated at the earliest," he said.

The situation was also grim in neighbouring Durg district.

Since April 1, 861 people have died due to COVID-19 in Chhattisgarh, with Raipur reporting 305 fatalities and Durg 213, as per official data.

The minister said there is generally no delay in the cremation of bodies of COVID-19 victims belonging to Raipur.

But, for victims hailing from other districts who succumbed in hospitals here, it takes some time for completing the process of shifting the bodies to their respective places, he said.

An official from the Raipur Municipal Corporation official said since the last couple of days, the last rites of about 100 victims were being performed every day in crematoriums and burial grounds here.

Patients with various ailments, including COVID-19, were being treated in the DBRMAH. The bodies of non-Covid patients and those related to medico-legal cases were also kept in the hospital's mortuary, Raipur's Additional Municipal Commissioner Pulak Bhattacharya said.

The bodies of victims hailing from other districts were are kept in the Raipur hospital's mortuary before being shifted to their native places, he said.

"Due to a sudden spike in deaths due to COVID-19, the bodies piled up in the mortuary," Bhattacharya said.

On Monday, the hospital's morgue had 40 bodies, mostly of COVID-19 victims, which was more than its capacity, he said.

"Since the last two days, the last rites of nearly 100 victims were being performed per day in Raipur. We have pressed more hearses into service so that the bodies can be shifted to crematoriums without any delay," he said.

Till about a fortnight back, the bodies of COVID-19 victims were disposed of only in two crematoriums in Raipur, but now the district administration has ordered to use all 18 crematoriums and burial grounds falling under the city civic limits for the purpose, he said.

Crematoriums on the outskirts of Raipur have also been identified, the official said.

During the first wave of COVID-19 last year, 10 crematoriums and burial grounds were being used in Raipur for the last rites of the victims, he added.

A process was underway to set up more electric crematoriums in Raipur and other cities, another official said.

Chhattisgarh saw 13,576 new COVID-19 cases, 132 deaths on Monday

Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 count rose to 4,56,873 on Monday with the addition of 13,576 fresh cases, while the death toll mounted by 132 to 5,031, an official said.

This was the sixth consecutive day when the state has recorded more than 10,000 cases.

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Published: 13 Apr 2021, 02:45 PM IST
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