A resident of Shanghai, China’s largest city, was shocked when he woke up in a body bag on Sunday, according to a video posted on the Chinese platform Weibo.
The video, filmed by a bystander, shows the moment several workers wearing protective COVID-19 gear shriek in horror when they realize the man they were carrying was still alive. The photos quickly spread on Chinese social media.
According to information reported by CTV News, the retirement home in which the man lives has allegedly been declared dead from COVID-19.
In particular, the author of the video can be heard lamenting the situation: “They sent a surviving person to the mortuary saying he was dead. Funeral directors said he was still moving…It was totally irresponsible.”
Many netizens pointed out that the man could have been buried or cremated if he had not woken up in time.
The government said in a statement issued on Monday that the man is now in stable condition.
The government said that three officials from the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Social Development Bureau, as well as the director of housing, have been removed from their posts.
Authorities have also rescinded the testimony of a doctor involved in the case who is now under investigation, according to the Global Times.
COVID-19 cases rise in Shanghai
Since the beginning of March, the city has been fighting a major outbreak of COVID-19.
On March 31, several containment measures were introduced. For weeks, these measures have forced an estimated 25 million residents of Shanghai to stay home, with many complaining of lack of food, water and healthcare.
Last week, authorities lifted that ban on some neighborhoods that had not seen any new cases in the past two weeks.
More than 8.2 million residents were still confined to their homes on Tuesday.
