The death toll of COVID-19 suspects has increased since mid-July, with cremation in three shifts in cemeteries under Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), said Dr Aung Myint Maw, Deputy Head of Department of Environmental Conservation and Sanitation under the YCDC.

There are seven cemeteries under the YCDC and they are working in three shifts since mid-July, he answered to the MWD newspaper.

The three-shift assign was started from July 8 and there is no infection among the staffs, he said.

“We have increased the number of staffs to 175 after more than 400 bodies arrived to the cemeteries. We arranged two shifts for the workers till July 8 and after that, we arranged three shifts per day to increase the workload. There are 169 people died of COVID-19 and more than 800 people are died of other diseases. The total number of bodies we cremated yesterday (on July 18) is 1,234,” he said.

Hla Soe, Chair of Yangon Region Administration Council, wrote on his Facebook page that number of death tolls is increased in COVID-19 third wave in the region.

“The death toll is increased in COVID-19 third wave. Some of the people are died of COVID-19, as has the number of deaths from other diseases, especially among the elderly. About 153 bodies were cremated at nine cemeteries on July 1. It was increased day by day and reached to about 500 bodies on July 11. Normally, the nine cemeteries can cremate about 300 bodies daily and we have left bodies to burn day by day,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

He continued that more than 1,500 bodies were cremated at nine cemeteries on July 19 alone.

“Out of over 1,500 bodies, only over 300 are left to cremate when I arrived at one of the nine cemeteries at 4 pm. There will be no body to cremate after tonight shift,” he wrote.

Social welfare organizations and free funeral service societies in Yangon Region are very busy as number of death tolls is increased in COVID-19 third wave period.

“We have to carry the bodies in next days as we cannot carry them. We also have to carry two or three bodies in a way,” said a person from a social welfare organization.

Up to 1,947 people are died of COVID-19 from July 1 to 19, announced Ministry of Health and Sports.