Rising death rate proves how Ramzan played a fatal role to spread deadly Coronavirus

Rising number of deaths from Covid-19 during month-old Ramzan proved how community members sacrificed people’s health and lives to observe Ramzan and to celebrate Eid-Al-Fitr. Before the holy month of Ramzan started from 13 April and ended with Eid-Al-Fitr on 13th and 14th May, religious and political leaders must have made an earnest appeal to make sure Muslims follow social distancing guidelines. But, religious leaders, who issue Fatwa at the drop of hat to reinforce Islam, miserably failed to implement Covid-19 protocols for their community members, who started usual practice of Iftar gathering, communal prayers at mosques, shopping at markets and meeting with friends and relatives disregarding all Covid-19 protocols resulting in more and more deaths. 

When Ramzan started, the number of deaths was 1824 on 18 April in Telangana with 15 deaths recorded per day. After the celebration of Eid-Al-Fitr, death in Telangana rose to as high as 3012 on 18 May with 27 deaths every day. It is a more than 80% jump in death rate caused by Ramzan.

On the very first day, there were heavy crowds with no masks and physical distance, but hustling and bustling for Ramzan shopping at Charminar area of Hyderabad during month long Eid markets. One wondered if the country was battling with the second wave of Covid-19, which was more deadly than the first wave. 

But, for Rahman Ali such gathering for festival shopping proved to be a death warrant for his 70 years old father, Shaukat Ali, who died of Covid-19 in the first week of Ramzan. Rahman Ali from old Hyderabad recalls how his father, a diabetic patient, who ignored his earnest request not to venture out for Ramzan shopping, eventually died. Also, he infected other family members. A panicked Rahman Ali questions, how many death warrants would Ramzan Shopping distribute to people, who are hell bent upon not to follow social distancing norms? 

Community members are following no Covid guidelines in Maharashtra as well, even if the government has banned large gatherings. Forget about wearing masks, crowds for Ramzaan shopping are so huge that there is no scope for social distancing in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra in Muslim dominated areas. Gatherings at mosques for prayers on Fridays of the Ramzan month are equally scary. Devotees flooded out mosques although the government permitted not more than 100 people at weddings and 20 people at funerals with public gatherings banned. 

On 18 April the number of deaths from Covid was 60,473 in Maharashtra with 503 deaths per day. After the celebration of Eid-Al-Fitr was over, the death toll reached 83,777 with 1291 deaths of Coronavirus every day. The rise in death number was more than 250%.

Delhi has been country’s worst hit city by Coronavirus, Health Care System has been under extreme strain as hospitals choke. Does the alarming situation in Delhi frighten people from thronging in markets and mosques? No. Shashtri Park area in North East Delhi is already listed as containment zones, which is sealed by the authority to break the chain of Covid-19 virus. However, crowds are moving and shopping for Ramzan, flouting the lockdown norms as if they never heard of pandemic Coronavirus.

On 18 April the death toll of Covid-19 in Delhi was 12121 with 161 deaths reported per day. After the celebration of Eid-Al-Fitr, the death toll reached 22111 with 265 deaths every day. After the festivities of Ramzan were over, the rise in death reached more than 160%.

34 current and former professors of Aligarh Muslim University, which is 150 Kilometres from Delhi, died of Coronavirus and its related symptoms during Ramzan. 

Authorities found themselves helpless to implement lockdown protocols even in Jammu and Kashmir, where the death rate during Ramzan jumped to the sky, but went unnoticed in the media. At the beginning of Ramzan on 18 April the death toll in Jammu and Kashmir was 2,057 with 6 deaths per day. After the celebration of Eid-Al-Fitr the death toll rose to 3293 with 71 deaths every day. The sheer rise in death toll after Ramzan in Jammu and Kashmir was more than 1000%.  

On 18 April the death toll of Covid-19 was 178793 in India with 1620 deaths per day. But after Eid-Al-Fitr, the death toll reached 283280 with 4529 deaths every day. The rise in death rate after Ramzan was more than 250%. 

Health Care professionals are battling like warriors in the field, where Covid-19 patients are continuously flooding in. Doctors and nurses, many of them contracted Coronavirus and died like martyrs, while saving Covid-19 patients. At present, Health Care front line professionals are under extreme strain. They have developed mental health issues. All such information is available at finger tips on social media. Nevertheless, religious Muslim leaders didn’t make sure to implement social distancing norms.

Data was sourced from

https://www.covid19india.org/