The Health Department has directed the deputy commissioners of the the districts to set up Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) booths at various burning ghats and graveyards across the state and encourage Covid testing for even the kin of those who die of diseases other than Covid-19 in a bid to identify asymptomatic cases and break the chain of transmission.
A letter addressed by health secretary Arun Kumar Singh to the DCs stated that the testing booths at crematoriums will ensure quick Covid test for the family members of the deceased and the people who attend funerals even if Covid was not the cause of death.
“In cases of Covid deaths and also deaths caused by diseases other than Covid, it is imperative to ensure rapid testing of the family members not only at the crematoriums but also at the residence of the people who die in the state in a bid to identify cases of infection and prevent further transmission,” the letter stated.
Testing family members of the deceased for Covid-19 would prevent spread of virus to other people during rituals following the last rites, the letter stated.
Teams will be constituted at district level to visit the homes of people who die in the state, irrespective of whether they were Covid positive or not, and conduct rapid tests for family members, an official from Ranchi district administration said. With the Government launching Covid testing kits that can be used at home by suspected patients without the need of medical supervision, the process may get easier, he added.
While the State has limited the number of attendees to 20 in funerals and following rituals, officials fear that such gatherings could still lead to transmission of the virus.
The decision comes in the backdrop of the Government deciding to bear the expenses of cremation of all Covid patients in the state. Chief Minister Hemant Soren had recently said that the government will bear the expenses of logs required for cremation and infrastructure needed for burial ceremonies.
With the rise in Covid fatalities since April, cremation has been a challenge in the state, especially Ranchi. The Ranchi administration has set up a burning ghat for bodies of Covid victims at Ghagra, but locals have raised concern over the pollution and toxic gases spread due to constant burning of bodies in the locality. So far, Covid-19 has claimed at least 4,654 lives in Jharkhand.