Durban - The South African Funeral Practitioners Association is confident that their affiliates are well prepared to continue working throughout the 21-day lockdown. The association has also confirmed that they have equipped their employees with protective gear to use.
SAFPA deputy president, Ndabe Ngcobo, said funeral parlours, mortuaries and insurance services are listed as essential services, therefore will be operational as regulated by the government.
"This means that all deaths occurring during the 21-day lockdown will be attended to," Ngcobo said.
Speaking at a briefing on Thursday, Ngcobo said they were taking maximum precaution to ensure that the spread of Covid-19 is curtailed.
"This means all our employees have been given proper protective gear to utilise throughout the funeral proceeding, from when we fetch the body from our client’s home up to the burial," he said.
Ngcobo added that the association will be working with an attendance register for attendees at funerals conducted during the 21-day lockdown.
"This register will be used to trace attendees in the case of a confirmed Covid-19 or an outbreak and will be given to the relevant authorities to handle," Ngcobo said.
The Clare Estate Umgeni Hindu Crematorium has also capped the number of mourners at funerals to 50.
"We are urging people to sympathise with the bereaved families then exit the hall. Please refrain from touching or hugging," the committee said.
Hand santisers will be provided at the entrance, in toilets and the venue will be cleaned and sprayed with sanitiser after each funeral, the committe added.
Furthermore, staff have been briefed and have been issued Personal Protective Equipment.
"We have familiarised ourselves with the measures recommended by the Dept of Health and the Centre for Communicable Diseases in the event that a deceased was a victim of Covid-19. We have also informed all Funeral Services and Undertakers using our facilities of these recommended measures," the committee said.
Currently, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country stands at 900+. An exact figure is expected to be communicated to the public by the Health Ministry later on Thursday.