The Jharkhand government has decided to set up rapid antigen test (RAT) booths at various burning ghats and graveyards across the state and make Covid testing mandatory for relatives of those who have died of diseases other than Covid-19 in a bid to identify asymptomatic cases and break the chain of transmission.

A letter issued by state health secretary Arun Kumar Singh to the deputy commissioners of all the districts stated that the testing booths at crematoriums will ensure quick Covid test for family members of the deceased and all those 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 a bid to identify cases of infection and prevent further transmission,” the letter, a copy of which is in possession of The Telegraph Online, stated.

The letter further stated that rapid testing of family members of the deceased would prevent spread of the virus to other people during rituals following the last rites. While the state has limited the number of attendees at funerals and rituals to 20, officials fear that such gatherings could still lead to transmission of the virus.

Teams will be constituted at the district level to visit homes of people who die, 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 without the need of medical supervision, the process may get easier, he added.

The decision comes in the backdrop of the Hemant Soren-led government deciding to bear the expenses of cremation of all Covid patients in the state. Hemant 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 pollution and toxic gases that are being spread due to constant burning of bodies in the locality. So far, Covid-19 has claimed at least 4,654 lives in Jharkhand.