Highlights
- In Kerala, a maximum of 20 people can attend the funeral: Guidelines
- Relatives will not be allowed to touch, bathe or hug the body: Guidelines
- After the body is cleaned, close relatives can see it in the isolation ward
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said on Wednesday (November 25) that close relatives of COVID patients will be permitted to see the dead body in the isolation ward, mortuary and burial place following safety protocols. She also said that permission will be given to conduct local and religious rites in strict compliance with the COVID-19 norms. “A close relative will be allowed while the staff cleans the body if requested. He/she will be allowed to symbolically sprinkle religious holy water and cover the body with a white cloth. At the same time, the relative will not be allowed to touch, bathe or hug the corpse for any reason. After the body is cleaned, the close relatives will be allowed to see the body in the isolation ward. A close relative will be allowed to see the body in the mortuary as well,” Ms Shailaja said.
When the body is brought to the crematorium, the health department employee can open the face cover and show it to the relatives following COVID-19 norms.
Funerals can be done without touching the body and a maximum of 20 people can attend it. Everyone must maintain a social distance of 2 meters at the funeral. Hands should be sanitised. People above the age of 60, children under the age of 10, and those with other serious illnesses, including lung disease, are not allowed to attend the funeral, she added.
The Health Minister said that the guidelines for Kerala have been updated following the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
[corona_data_new]
