Officials say the bodies were decomposed, as they were in water for five to seven days; claim they are not locals
A man carries an elderly woman, who is having difficulty in breathing, to a gurudwara for free oxygen, near New Delhi, on Monday. Pic/AFP
Several bodies, decomposed, bloated and suspected to be of Covid-19 victims, were found floating in the river Ganga in Buxar district of Bihar on Monday. Officials in Chausa, Buxar, which borders Uttar Pradesh, rushed to the spot upon hearing the news. “Some 40-45 bodies were seen floating,” NDTV quoted Chausa district official Ashok Kumar as saying. Some news channels claimed the number of bodies to be as high as 100, which he said was “highly exaggerated”.
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“They are bloated and have been in the water for at least five to seven days. We are disposing of the bodies. We need to investigate where they are from, which town in UP — Bahraich or Varanasi or Allahabad,” NDTV quoted another official, K K Upadhyay, as saying. Kumar told PTI that “none of the deceased happens to be a resident of the district.”
He said “many UP districts are situated right across the river. We can’t confirm whether the deceased were indeed Covid-19 positive... We are taking all precautions in disposing of the bodies”. Many locals claimed the district administration was “in denial over many such unfortunate incidents involving Buxar residents”. They alleged that those manning cremation ghats were charging a fortune from kin of Covid-19 victims. “There is also a shortage of wood and other material required for cremation. Availability of these has taken a hit because of the lockdown. So many bereaved family members are compelled to immerse the bodies of their loved ones in the river,” a resident said.
Often the administration refuses to hand over Covid-19 victims’ bodies to their kin, claiming it would perform the last rites with protocol, another local said. “What indeed happens is that the officials develop cold feet later and fearing that they might contract the infection, they dump the bodies in the river and flee. Little do they realize that they are also polluting the river,” he added. Meanwhile, India on Monday witnessed a drop in daily figures with 3,66,161 new cases and 3,754 deaths, the Union health ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed.
A man conducts last rites of a kin in New Delhi on Monday. Pic/PTI
Only 1 day’s Covaxin stock left: Delhi
Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said Delhi has only one day’s Covaxin stock left and its Covishield doses will last for just three to four days. His remarks came a day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to direct manufacturers to increase vaccine supplies to the capital between May and July. “Covaxin doses can last up to one day only, while Covishield doses can last up to three to four days,” Jain said. Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Monday alleged that the Centre has abdicated its responsibility and left COVID-19 vaccination to states. “Modi government has abdicated its responsibility and left vaccination to states. It would have been financially more equitable for the Centre to provide free vaccine to all,” the party Chief said while Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. Sonia Gandhi further expressed concern over the worrying situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Study: Organ transplant recipients at risk even after vaccination
New Delhi: Although two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine confer some protection for people who have received solid organ transplants, it’s still not enough to enable them to dispense with masks, physical distancing and other safety measures, said a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers said people who receive organ transplants, such as hearts, lungs and kidneys, must often take drugs to suppress their immune systems and prevent rejection. Such regimens may interfere with a transplant recipient’s ability to make antibodies to foreign substances, including the protective ones produced in response to vaccines, they said.
400-bed COVID centre at gurdwara opens
A volunteer at Guru Tegh Bahadur COVID Centre in Delhi on Monday. Pic/PTI
The Guru Teg Bahadur COVID Centre at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi opened with 400 oxygen beds at 2 pm on Monday and admitted 25 patients by 6 pm, an official said. Only those with O2 saturation level above 85 will be given treatment here, he added.
2,26,62,575
Total no. of coronavirus cases in India so far
2,46,116
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far
1,86,71,222
Total no. of patients Recovered and discharged in India so far
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