No need to cover Covid-19 remains in plastic – health department
“This is unless it is prescribed as an additional measure by the relevant municipality where the grave is excavated in an area with a high-water table. “Such additional measures are applicable to all burials, not only Covid-19.”
The national department of health has reiterated its prescribed measures on how Covid-19 remains should be handled, saying covering them or the coffin in plastic bag was not necessary.
This comes after a meeting the department had with various parties in the management of human remains following reports of coffins at Covid-19-related burials being wrapped in plastic.
These reports also claimed that in some cases, human remains were also wrapped in plastic and coffins marked with biohazard stickers prior to burial.
Spokesperson for the department Popo Maja said the department had issued health directions on the management of Covid-19 related human remains that prescribed measures to be implemented.
“These directions do not prescribe the covering of coffins with plastics, use of biohazard stickers nor wearing full PPE by funeral directors or sanitising of the graves or clothes of people attending the funeral as this is unnecessary,” he said.
“This is unless it is prescribed as an additional measure by the relevant municipality where the grave is excavated in an area with a high water table.”
“Such additional measures are applicable to all burials (not only Covid-19), if the water table is too high for normal burial.”
He reassured members of the public and the industry that the measures prescribed were evidence-based “and may change as and when new evidence is presented”.
Maja said the revised guidance from World Health Organisation indicated that transmission of SARS 2 from human remains to living people had not been proven.
“Therefore, the department is in a process of reviewing the requirement of a body bag for burial to align to current evidence,” he said.
“Human remains can be buried either in a body bag or be wrapped in a shroud or blanket as the case may be. The body bag can be used for medical reasons or the family may decide to bury using these body bags.”
What the department says about Covid-19 burial:
· The human remains should only be conveyed to the deceased’s home on the day of the burial and viewing is only allowed under controlled environment within a mortuary or funeral undertakers` premises. These measures are still necessary to control the spread of Covid-19 among mourners.
· The department has regulated the number of people that can attend funeral gatherings to reduce the possible exposure to the disease. Only 50 people may attend
· Exhumation is a process of removing human remains from a grave and shall not be done unless:
(a) Authorised by the relevant government and permitted by the relevant municipality; or
(b) A court order is issued by a magistrate of the court and shall be permitted by the relevant local government in whose jurisdiction the exhumation and reburial will take place.
“Members of the public wishing to exhume human remains must do so following the provisions of the above-mentioned legislation. Therefore, illegal exhumation of human remains is prohibited and is punishable by law,” Maja said.
More regulations on how to handle a Covid-19 deceased’s remains:
– The corpse of a Covid-positive patient should be transferred from hospital to the mortuary using transparent body bags.
– Families of people who died of Covid-19 complications can view the body as long as they wore masks and gloves. Kissing of the body was not recommended.
– Families are allowed to prepare and wash the bodies of the deceased if they used PPE.
To read more regulations visit the NICD’s page on: https://www.nicd.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-ENVIRONMENTAL-HEALTH-GUIDELINE-1-3.pdf
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