Officials and volunteers who are frantically fighting the burgeoning coronavirus (COVID-19) threat in Manipur now have an additional problem on their hands. Local youths and some ill-informed residents have erected fences at the borders of some residential areas to prevent health workers and people who have tested positive for COVID-19, including those who have recovered, from entering their villages or communities. In several instances, they have not allowed the cremation of people who have succumbed to COVID-19.
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N. Parvin, District Collector of the Imphal West district, appealed to people to not panic since health officials were taking care to observe protocols. The deceased are wrapped in plastic body bags to ensure the virus cannot spread or infect others. In view of the stiff opposition encountered in some areas, policemen and civil officials wait near villages while bodies are cremated. But some youth and women continue to obstruct cremation in their localities. Each locality has cremation ground. In the absence of a government-run cremation ground, the disposal of bodies has become a major issue.
Officials said that in the last 24 hours, Manipur had recorded 4,569 cases of COVID-19. Out of them, 17 persons had died, 2,632 persons had recovered, and there are 1,920 active cases.
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Dr. C. Arunkumar, Medical Superintendent, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, said, “The most recent death was that of a 44-year-old person who was suffering from other diseases. Since he had tested positive for COVID-19, he was referred to RIMS on Saturday from JNIMS (Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences), a State government medical college. The person was wobbly and frail and there was general weakness. The doctor on duty had prescribed medicine. However, the patient died on Sunday night.”
Several women activists announced over loudspeaker that persons who may have contracted the virus should not remain in hiding but come out for voluntary sample testing. They covered Paona market and commercial sections of the city, where some persons had tested positive.
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Health officials said that people were more or less ignoring the standard operating procedures (SOP) and other guidelines, which would adversely impact the spread of the pandemic.
The State government extended total lockdown till August 31, with night curfew from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, traffic jams have been observed at many places.
