The Eastern Cape Council of Churches has appealed to communities to follow health protocols during funerals of people who succumbed to Covid19.
This followed an incident at a funeral in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality on Tuesday where family members, concerned about whether the correct person is being buried, tore open the plastic body bag to view the deceased.
The spokesperson for the provincial Church Council Reverend Lulama Ntshingwa, says people are also expected to practice social distancing as instructed by the World Health Organisation.
He called for the provincial Health Department to use transparent body bags for those who succumbed to the Covid 19 virus.
According to the Provincial Government, these transparent bags can be requested if family members want to see the corpse.
As the coronavirus death toll is rising in South Africa and especially the Eastern Cape, the Provincial Government has set out some guidelines to assist frontline workers and especially undertakers who deal with bodies of people who have died from the virus.
The government must ensure that there is a reduced risk of transmission between those who do deal with handling and transporting the corpse.
If family members want to view the body, which will still be in a body bag, they too must have the necessary PPE clothing, and under no circumstances will they be allowed to touch or kiss the body.
Family members must wash their hands thoroughly after the viewing.
It is important to note that Covid-19 can remain infectious on surfaces for up to nine days and undertakers need to take the necessary precautions to clean their stations accordingly.
Reverend Ntshingwa says it is important for all families to realise that the coronavirus has changed our lives and that it cannot be "business as usual."
