Shocking! Nine relatives test Covid-19 positive after 70 people attend funeral of COVID-19 suspect in Ulhasnagar

The number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra is rapidly rising. The authorities are ensuring that people are following the lockdown order in order to curb the spread of the disease. 

Amid the crisis a shocking news comes from a family where at least its nine members have tested covid-19 positive on Friday. The 9 members of family tested positive a week after they attended the funeral of covid-19 kin in Maharashtra's Ulhasnagar.

As per reports, the deceased's family went against the government orders and organised a funeral which was attended by 70 people. According to Central and state government orders not more than 20 people can attend funeral.

A 50-year-old member of this family died on May 8. He tested positive for the infection a day later.

The hospital in Ulhasnagar had handed over the body of the victim to the family in a plastic sheet. The family was instructed not to remove the plastic wrap before the funeral as the patient had died of Covid-19 symptoms and his test results were awaited.

"The victim's family members gave an undertaking to the hospital that they will strictly follow all the guidelines during the cremation," spokesperson of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) Yuvraj Badhane said.

However, after they took the body home, the family members removed the plastic sheets and conducted death-related rituals on the body, including giving the body a bath. Later 70 people, who attended the funeral, came in contact of the body.

After the authorities came to know about the funeral, they traced the people who attended the funeral and conducted their test for Covid-19.

The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation is waiting for reports of other persons and is going to register a police case against the family members of the deceased person.

So far, 89 people, including 10 from this family, have tested Covid-19 positive in Ulhasnagar, where the death toll due to the infection till now is four.