Cape Town’s Covid-19 burial rules amended

The amendments include changes to the handling of bodies and funeral attendance.

CAPE TOWN, March 24 (ANA) – The City of Cape Town has announced further amendments to Covid-19 management regulations pertaining to burials.

The amendments were gazetted on Friday, March 19, and included changes to the handling of bodies and funeral attendance.

In a statement released on Wednesday, MMC for community services and health councillor Zahid Badroodien said pertaining to the City of Cape Town cemeteries, the following needed to be noted: coffins should not be wrapped in any plastic, and undertakers must deliver the remains on the day of the burial and should ensure the remains are not touched at all.

The number of people attending a funeral is limited to 50, including personnel from the funeral parlour.

Badroodien said the government had made numerous changes to the Covid-19 regulations since the outbreak of the pandemic.

He said it was of utmost importance that everyone concerned stay informed and up to date with the changes to ensure that the deceased are buried with dignity.

He said fatality management remained one of the key components of the City of Cape Town’s response to the pandemic.

He added that cemeteries and the Maitland crematorium had managed to handle the increase in demand for burials during the two waves of Covid-19.

Badroodien said while there has been an increase in weekday burials, Saturdays remained one of the busiest days for the city’s cemeteries.

“Funeral organisers are reminded to please consider weekday burials where possible, to limit the congestion at cemeteries, to stick to their allotted time of 30 minutes, and to adhere to health and safety protocols at all times,” he said.

Badroodien said the city council also urged relatives to consider cremation where possible if not prohibited on religious or cultural grounds.

However, he said there had been a decrease in the number of burials since the second wave of the pandemic, but there were indications of a third and fourth wave of infections.

Badroodien added that it was imperative that cemeteries and crematoria continue to be managed to avoid multiple burials, even if these were provided for in the national regulations.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher