State set to relax Covid burial rules
Public health officials carry the body of a man who succumbed to Covid-19 complications.
What you need to know:
- Health CAS acknowledges that the ministry may have deployed extreme measures in the burial of those killed by Covid-19.
Strict rules for the burial of Covid-19 victims will be relaxed to allow families accord their loved ones decent send-off, the Health ministry has announced.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Rashid Aman acknowledged that the ministry may have deployed extreme measures in the burial of those killed by Covid-19.
“Cautionary measures taken at first were extreme, and we have learnt from them, and that it why we have considered reviewing some burial protocols of those who succumb to Covid-19 related illnesses to make it easier for those who have lost their loved ones,” Dr Aman said.
He explained that with proper handling of the body by placing it in a body bag, the risk of infections is almost nil.
Families that have lost their relatives have protested at hasty burials — some conducted at night — that cause them more trauma.
Yesterday, the ministry announced 102 new cases of coronavirus, raising the total number of confirmed infections to 35,205.
Dr Aman further reported that 80 more patients had recovered, 30 of them at home and 50 in hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries to 21,310.
He added that the virus had killed two people in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 599.
