Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PLANS TO USE ARMY BASE AS A MORTUARY Bodies stored in barracks at Covid-19 peak
AN Army base is set to be used as a temporary mortuary for those killed by Covid-19.
The Department of Justice has approached the MOD with a request to use a large building at the Kinnegar base in Holywood, Co Down, if current body storage arrangements exceed capacity.
It is part of the department’s planning for the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials are working to increase the current capacity of 280 corpses due to fears of a backlog of burials and cremations.
The Kinnegar site has already been earmarked for closure, with plans to sell it by 2022.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said the priority was to ensure there was respect and dignity for the deceased and their families.
She added: “We are on a fast moving and frankly troubling terrain and we have to plan accordingly, both in individual departments and across the
Executive. Preparing for the future and looking at worst case scenarios, while trying to mitigate against those worst case scenarios, is now our focus.
“As part of that work, we are taking precautions to prepare for the risk that the normal burial arrangements are not sufficient.
“We will do all we can to ensure dignity for the deceased and their family. We will work with all of those involved to enable as many people as possible to be buried or cremated in the usual way.
“However, we must also safeguard public health. In the event that the virus hits Northern Ireland very hard,
then we have seen elsewhere in the world that this gives rise to challenges which we are working to meet.
“We currently have some additional space in temporary resting places for the deceased over and above the normal arrangements. We are actively seeking to increase that capacity and are working closely with a range of organisations to find the best solution.
REQUEST
“As part of that work, a request has been submitted for the use of the soon to be decommissioned Kinnegar site near Belfast to be used as the NI Temporary Resting Place, in the event that it is needed.” Earlier in the week,
DOJ officials told a Stormont committee there was likely to come a point where it would be impossible to adhere to the current practice of holding funerals within three days of a death.
As well as an increase in the death rate due to the disease, sickness among funeral directors and council staff is anticipated to put added pressure on the system.
The news came as Northern Ireland has now lost 10 people from coronavirus as the number of confirmed infections reached 241.
A total of 3,475 patients have been tested for the disease with 32 new cases identified yesterday. Belfast still