Rajasthan, one of the worst hit states from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in India, is currently witnessing an increased number of cases in the rural areas. Nearly 70 per cent of the positive cases in the state are coming from villages, Dr BL Vishnoi, chief medical health officer (CMHO) of Barmer told news agency ANI on Wednesday, adding that nearly 2,000 people (in villages) have tested positive for the disease.
“Medical teams are identifying cases (in rural areas), collecting samples and isolating them,” Dr Vishnoi said.
Echoing his concerns, Rajasthan health minister Raghu Sharma also said on Wednesday that this time, the infection has spread to rural part of the state. Sharma had said on May 9 that several rural areas are reporting a high number of active cases and the health department will soon deploy community health officers (CHOs) to provide counselling to residents on Covid-19 and conduct door-to-door surveys.
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On May 8, PTI reported that 21 people died in as many days at the Kheerva village in the Sikar district allegedly after a Covid-19 infected corpse was buried on April 21 without following any protocols.
However, officials refuted this claim and told PTI on May 8 that only four people died due to Covid-19 in the village between April 15 and May 5. They added that around 150 people attended the funeral on April 21 and the body was buried without following any protocol.
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Rajasthan has till now recorded nearly 790,000 Covid-19 disease cases, 5,994 deaths and 577,550 recoveries. On Wednesday, the state recorded 16,080 new cases while 169 more people succumbed to the disease. The active cases in the state have climbed to 205,730. Rajasthan and is among the first five states in India where active cases have breached the 200,000-mark, health minister Sharma said on Wednesday.
A complete lockdown for two weeks has been imposed in Rajasthan from May 10 to May 24 to stem the spread of Covid-19 and weddings in the state have been banned till May 30. Apart from emergency vehicles, no other vehicle, be it private or public is allowed to move and all intrastate movement is banned.
