COVID Response Center In Russia's Tomsk Denies Reports On Large Amount Of Bodies In Morgue

The regional COVID-19 response center in Russia's Tomsk on Tuesday refuted reports alleging that a morgue in the region's capital is out of space due to the excessive amount of bodies of patients who have died from the coronavirus

NOVOSIBIRSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th July, 2020) The regional COVID-19 response center in Russia's Tomsk on Tuesday refuted reports alleging that a morgue in the region's capital is out of space due to the excessive amount of bodies of patients who have died from the coronavirus.

Earlier in the day, photographs showing body bags in the morgue and reports that the hospital morgue in the city of Tomsk is out of capacity appeared on some media outlets and social networks. The response center said that reports were fake, and the bags were filled with rags.

"The published photographs show the room with bags filled with class B biological waste, namely used clothing and rags that cannot be simply thrown away in a simple trash bin and require disposal by organizations that hold a license for this type of activity.

On Monday, July 6, most [bags filled rags, clothing] were disposed of as planned," Pavel Gorh, the acting head of the regional coroner bureau, said, as quoted by the response center in a statement.

He added that the reports are fake, and the fact that the photographs show a health worker without personal protective equipment proves that it is not a morgue with bodies of people who died from COVID-19. According to Gorh, the place where corpses are held is usually a cold room, as bodies are supposed to be kept "at a certain temperature."

"The photograph showing a body on the floor was, possibly, taken in another place or at another time," he said.

Gorh added that the pathological bureau launched an internal investigation regarding the photographs circulating online.