County to approve overflow morgue contract due to virus
Will create a safety net for the future
Shelby County is expected to approve a contract with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center for morgue overflow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UTHSC operates the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center, which will take on overflow cases from hospitals when morgues become overcrowded. The forensic center also serves as the Shelby County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Once the forensic center is in possession of the body, staff will communicate with the next of kin and the funeral home “to ensure appropriate disposition of the remains in a timely and dignified manner,” according to a memo from the county. As of Wednesday, there had been 293 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths in Shelby County.
Officials have said they are “cautiously optimistic” at the current trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the county, although a surge in hospitalizations was recently still predicted for late October.
At the current time, the forensic center’s morgue overflow capacity is not needed, said Alisa Haushalter, director of the Shelby County Health Department.
“This creates a safety net that hopefully we wouldn’t have to use,” Haushalter said.
However, other places wracked by the pandemic have not had such a safety net, Haushalter pointed out, including New York and Philadelphia. In both cities, refrigerated trucks held bodies when morgues became full.
The contract lasts through December 30, 2020, but can be extended for two additional six month periods. The cost is covered by $138,414 in CARES Act funding. The Shelby County Commission is expected to approve the contract Monday.