Funeral and Public Health Measures related to COVID-19

The worlds’ collective anxiety with COVID-19 has been exacerbated by watching images of mass burials. The impact on family, community, religious faith plus human decency has been undeniable. New funeral rites continue to evolve assisted in part by recognising the virus is transmitted primarily through droplets from ‘the living’ rather than ‘the deceased’.

We have all been touched by watching the images of the need for mass burials overseas. In Australia, changes to funeral and burial processes has also occurred. This is in addition to the social distancing and lock down restricting the numbers of those present during these ceremonies.

Guidelines for attending funerals in QLD:

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system-governance/legislation/cho-public-health-directions-under-expanded-public-health-act-powers/non-essential-business-closure-direction/funeral-protocol

Fact sheets for funeral directors in NSW:

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/covid-19-funeral-directors.aspx

If this article has made you uncomfortable, there are resources available to help Australians through this crisis:

https://headtohealth.gov.au/covid-19-support/covid-19

https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/

https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak