Temporary morgue installed on grounds of Johnstown Castle

THE grounds of Johnstown Castle have been chosen as the location for a temporary morgue being set up for Co Wexford as the model county braces itself for the anticipated spike in cases of Covid-19.

A standalone refrigerated unit was placed on site last week, with the goal of being fully operational should Wexford be hit with a wave of deaths relating to the virus. However, Chief Executive of Wexford County Council Tom Enright said that this was very much preparing for a ‘worst case scenario’ and added he was hopeful that it would not be required.

Local undertakers have been made aware of the new plans and it’s reported that in the case of Covid-19 deaths, there is to be no autopsy or embalming with the remains to be buried or cremated as quickly as possible, without a wake or an open casket. The setup at Johnstown Castle will function solely as a temporary holding area for remains and it will not be a place that can be attended by grieving family members.

County Councils across the country were asked to swiftly decide on locations for these type of facilities, with the death toll starting to rise nationally and medical professionals very much indicating that we’ve yet to see the extent of the surge. Johnstown Castle was seen to be the best location for a temporary morgue in Wexford owing to the fact that it’s currently closed off from the public and provides the required level of privacy.

While they had been open on Friday, the gates at Johnstown Castle were closed over the weekend and a padlock remained in place yesterday morning (Monday) with nobody being allowed in or out.

Speaking about the facility, Mr Enright stated: ‘We’ve put this in place in accordance with emergency plans and procedures. The intention would very much be that this will not be needed in Co Wexford. It’s just a matter of needing to be prepared, should something like this be required.’

Meanwhile, Wexford County Council are said to be putting every available contingency plan in place for a worst case scenario and have been looking at things like graveyard capacities etc. Despite this, the county seems to be faring well comparatively, with the most up to date figures published by the Department of Health stating that there are 12 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the county.

Mr Enright was feeling positive in relation to Co Wexford’s reaction to the spread of the virus, with yesterday seeing Wexford County Council take the lead in joining together local organisations to setup a dedicated community support call centre and helpline which will be available to people across the county between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. seven days a week.

‘I think we’re working very well together with the HSE, the gardaí and various community organisations to tackle this thing head on,’ he said.

‘As I’ve often said, there’s a great community spirit in Wexford and we’ve had countless people in touch who just want to help.’

‘I think we’re as well prepared as anywhere and hopefully we’ll get through the predicted spike in the coming weeks and see some positives and some kind of return to normality at the end of it.’