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Mkhize concerned about large numbers of people at funerals

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Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has expressed concern that people still attend funerals in large numbers in some areas.

COVID-19 regulations stipulate that not more than 50 people are allowed to attend a funeral.

Mkhize visited various healthcare centres in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday to assess the situation.

The province currently has the most active coronavirus cases in the country.

Mkihze has urged religious and traditional leaders to play a role in regulating the number of people attending funerals.

He says, “We still get reports of areas where the funerals are still attended by a large number of people and sometimes when people attend, the following week you start seeing more who are getting infected, so funerals still remain a concern. It’s very important that families as painful as it is, we do understand it. We should not actually start touching the body, going back to wash the body and if we have to view the body, there is a procedure that must be done with the supervision of those who are trained to do it so that we don’t spread – so you don’t lose one member and then spread the infection to even more members.”

Level 3 lockdown funeral regulations:

  • Funerals may not be attended by more than 50 people.
  • There needs to be social distancing, hand sanitising and mask wearing.
  • Night vigils and after tears are not allowed.

Minister Mkhize briefed the media following visit to KZN clinic and hospitals:

Funeral parlours

SA Funeral Homes, a company that supplies coffins to funeral parlours in South Africa say they are struggling to keep up with the demand, as the number of COVID-19 related deaths continue to rise.

In the video below, in Nelson Mandela Bay some parlours are running out of coffins:

INFOGRAPHIC: Amended level 3 lockdown regulations:

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