‘Mortuary’ plan at industrial estate
UP to 1,000 bodies could be stored at a site in Trafford Park under emergency coronavirus plans being drawn up by Greater Manchester officials.
The facility – which would not technically be a mortuary as post mortem examinations will not be carried out there – is intended to be ready as soon as possible, it is understood.
However insiders said it was only being set up as contingency in case existing mortuaries across the region were unable to cope with a surge in deaths, stressing that it may not be needed. Government has asked all local areas to identify suitable sites for such a facility as part of the national planning around coronavirus, which includes preparing for tens of thousands more deaths than would normally be recorded in the coming months. Greater Manchester officials believe they have identified somewhere suitable on an industrial site in Trafford Park, partly chosen due to its distance from any residential areas.
The move is part of Greater Manchester’s plans to cope with the start of the outbreak’s peak, which is believed to be a few weeks away.
London, where the number of cases and deaths have been higher than elsewhere, is thought to be between ten days and two weeks ahead of other areas and planners here have been closely watching developments in the capital as a guide. Last week, ministers confirmed that the Manchester Central Convention Complex would become a temporary hospital in the coming days, although it is not expected to cater for patients needing critical care, unlike the existing Nightingale hospital in London’s ExCel Centre.