Reuters picture shows a woman who fainted at a crematorium in New Delhi after seeing the body of a relative who died of Covid on Friday.

Anguish was voiced in Delhi High Court, too, during the day when a bench was informed of the death of another Covid patient whose family had been pleading for an ICU bed for the past three days. While the proceedings were on, a relative of the patient had urged the court to request the authorities to arrange for an ICU bed as the vital signs of the patient, who was in an emergency ward, were low.

However, within minutes, the relative informed the bench that the patient had died, adding: “I have failed, my brother-in-law has expired, so no more efforts are needed.”

The bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli then said: “No, the State has failed. We all have failed. We have been informed that the patient has expired. We may record our complete helplessness in the situation. We can only say that the State has failed to protect the right to life of people guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.”

The bench, which has been conducting proceedings on the oxygen crisis, heard the matter for over four hours.

Covid claims chief secretary

Bihar chief secretary Arun Kumar Singh died of Covid-19 at a private hospital in Patna on Friday.

Singh, a 1985 batch IAS officer, was to retire in August. He was appointed chief secretary in February this year.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who received the news during a cabinet meeting, condoled his death