No need to cover coffins

According to the department of health, revised guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that transmission of SarsCoV-2 from human remains to people who are alive has not been proven.

The department has clarified safety protocol relating to the covering of coffins and burials of people who have died from Covid-19 complications.

This after people took to social media during Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu’s funeral to question why his coffin was not wrapped in plastic, as is done at other burials.

Mthembu died on Thursday from Covid-19 complications and was buried on Sunday in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga.

While people questioned Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane’s entry to the funeral service without a mask, others wondered if Mthembu’s family opted to wrap his remains in plastic as his coffin was not wrapped.

But the health department said this was not necessary.

“The department of health has issued health directives on the management of human remains that died of Covid-19 that prescribes measures to be implemented. These directives do not prescribe the covering of coffins with plastics, use of biohazard stickers nor wearing full [personal protective equipment] by funeral directors or sanitising of the graves or clothes of people attending the funeral as this is unnecessary.

“This is unless it is prescribed as an additional measure by the relevant municipality where the grave is excavated in an area with a high water table. Such additional measures are applicable to all burials, if the water table is too high for normal burial,” said spokesman Popo Maja.

According to the department, revised guidelines from WHO indicate that transmission of Sars-CoV-2 from human remains to people who are alive has not been proven.

As a result, the department is in the process of reviewing the requirement of a body bag for burial to align with current evidence.

“Human remains can be buried in a body bag, wrapped in a shroud or blanket as the case may be.”