All you need to know about funerals during Covid-19

When a loved one dies during these unprecedented times of Covid-19 it is hard to decide whether to have a funeral or memorial service now, or wait for the pandemic to end before commemorating your loved one with such a planned event.

The difficulties generally associated with losing a loved one have been exacerbated by a plethora of Covid-19 rules and regulations – even more so when Covid-19 was the cause of death.

Emergency medical service personnel and undertakers have adapted to make room for new procedures. In doing so, they lessen the burden carried by grieving families and friends.

Prior to the arrival of Covid-19, emergency medical service providers had to follow certain protocols when declaring a death. The mortal remains of the deceased are disinfected and stored following specific guidelines. While some chose to have it cremated, others chose traditional burials – some with open caskets. Funeral services could be attended by hundreds.

Lockdown rules indicate that a funeral service held while South Africa remains under lockdown, may not be attended by more than 50 people who have sanitised their hands. Social distancing rules apply in that no two attendees may be closed than 1.5 metres from each other.

Services may not exceed two hours and night vigils have been prohibited. Only those with the required permits may travel between provinces to attend a funeral.

How to console someone at a funeral during Covid-19

The regulations state that you are allowed to travel between provinces for a funeral if you are direct family such as a child, grandchild, spouse, partner etc. of the deceased and if you have the correct and valid documents to travel. The tricky part is that funerals are limited to 50 attendees, no evening vigils are allowed, and social distancing rules must still be adhered to, which means you can’t physically console the deceased’s family members. This makes it hard to say goodbye to a loved one and mourn together as family and friends.

Here are four ways to console the family members of the deceased

1. Give them a call Once you hear that someone has passed away, you can phone their family and talk to them. Give your condolences and deepest sympathies but do not linger on the phone. You want to let the person know that you are aware of the tragedy and you are ready to support them during their time of grief.

2. Share your fondest memories and photos When someone is planning a funeral of a loved one, there might be a slide show or video and a speech at the funeral. You can help by sharing your fondest memories or photos of the person. They can either use your story in their speech or your photos in their slide show should they wish to and if not, they will still know you care.

3. Provide support in any way possible One of the most important things you can do during this time is to show your support in any way possible. Their loved ones are under immense stress to plan a funeral that their loved one deserves. Showing support can be emotional, making a donation, having flowers delivered, or even having a hot meal delivered when you know the person is either too emotional or too busy with planning to cook.

4. Always follow up with them Just because the funeral is over does not mean the person who lost the deceased is no longer thinking of them. They are still going through the stages of mourning even after the funeral. The best thing is to continue showing support. Check in on them regularly and make sure they are okay. They will appreciate knowing that you still care, even after the burial – most make the mistake to stop phoning once the funeral has passed.

How do I get a permit allowing interprovincial travel for a funeral?

The regulations prohibit interprovincial travel. Among the exceptions are those travelling to funerals. In order to cross provincial boundaries as lockdown regulations prescribe, you will have to bear a permit granted by the police or a magistrate. The permit is called a “Lockdown Regulation Form 4 Permit”. This will only be granted to those who had a close relationship with the deceased. In order to successfully apply for such a permit, the applicant will have to submit a copy of the deceased’s death certificate. If that is not available, the affidavit known as “Lockdown Regulation Form 5” must be filled out and commissioned. Mourning a death becomes even more complicated once someone dies as a result of Covid-19.

What do I do the belongings of a Covid-19 victim?

The deceased’s belongings must be handled with gloves, cleaned with a detergent and disinfected with a solution of no less than 70 per cent ethanol, also called “0.1 per cent bleach.” Fabric items such as clothing that belonged to the deceased, must be machine washed with detergent at 60 to 90 degrees Celsius. If a washing machine is not available, it should be soaked in hot water and soap in a large drum and stirred with a stick or stick-like object. Avoid splashing. Once the drum has been emptied, the fabric items must be soaked in 0.05 per cent chlorine for 30 minutes, whereafter the items must be allowed to dry in full sunlight. The assistance of an undertaker could be of great value to grieving families and friends who lost someone dear to them.
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Covid-19 lays digital foundation for funerals

Commemorating a loved one who has passed away during Covid-19 is a hard task, especially when you consider the new funeral regulations gazetted by the government to reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19 while attending a funeral. According to the Government Gazette, social distancing rules still apply at a funeral and the number of attendees is limited to 50.

This is a hard pill for anyone to swallow when you think that your loved one will only have 50 people at their funeral and you cannot hug anyone nor provide them with any snacks or drinks at the service. Luckily, the world has become a lot more digital with apps and websites bringing people across the world closer. You can still hold a funeral with direct family members of the deceased, and then use some digital help to make it open for everyone who wants to attend but can’t be there.

Here are five apps and websites to help plan a digital funeral:

Make a funeral website

The website called Ever Loved gives you the opportunity to create a free website for your deceased loved one. You can load memories, photos, date of birth, date of death, burial or cremation, and when or where you would like to have the funeral or service. This is an excellent way to plan the funeral and keep everyone in the loop. The website is not only user friendly but also completely free. Just go to the website, create your page, and share the link.

Make a memorial video

Video applications that available on your phone make it easy to
Commemorating compile a memorial video slide show. Use free apps such as Flipogram, SlideShow Maker and Filmora Go where you can easily choose photos to upload and music to accompany the photos, and the app will do the rest. Remember to check the size of the video if you are unable to share the video on social media. You can also share it for free by posting it on YouTube.

Make a digital invitation to the funeral

These days many invitations are done digitally. You can use graphic design platforms such as Canva to create your own or use one of the ready-made invitations that the Canva team created. The Canva app and website is completely free to use and can make anyone look like a graphic designer in seconds. Just head to the website or app, register and start creating your own invitation. You can also add a note that you will send the live link to the funeral stream on the day of the funeral for those who cannot attend.

Make a funeral playlist

Spotify, Deezer, YouTube are just a few apps you can use to create your playlist of songs that you want to play at the funeral. You can control when which song plays and find pretty much any song between the three of them. Just connect to a Bluetooth speaker or auxiliary cable and play your music.

Stream the funeral

If you used the website Ever Loved to create a page for your loved one, they give you the opportunity to stream the funeral. If not, you can try Skype, Zoom, or Facebook. You can either share the live link, invite people to join, or send them the link after the service. The most important thing is that they will be able to digitally attend the service.