The Ministry of Health and Medical services has issued an advisory on what to do when someone dies during the current COVID-19 outbreak.
Immediate actions when someone dies
Whether it is in the provinces or areas where COVID-19 community transmission is active, if someone dies at home, please ensure that no one (neighbors, family members from another household, friends etc.) enters your home.
Everyone residing in the same home as the deceased are to remain at home and assist each other to move the body to a space within the home to avoid close contact.
The body will be moved to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) morgue by relevant health frontline workers who will oversee and manage the preparation of the body for funeral and burial.
If person who died is COVID-19 positive
If the death is proven to be caused by COVID-19, all the people in the household are considered close contacts and will be quarantined for 14 days and watch for symptoms of COVID 19. If you are a family member, do not meet others and stay in your own bubble so that you do not pass on the infection to others.
The body will be moved to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) morgue by relevant health frontline workers who will oversee and manage the preparation of the body for funeral and burial.
Can bodies be transported to the province?
Current advice from health is to halt sending of bodies from Honiara to the provinces and vice versa. However, should there be need for discussion on this please contact the police.
Funeral arrangements
Funeral service will be held at the burial site with only 5 people in attendance. This includes, immediate family members, those preparing site for burial and a church worker who will officiate the service.
For those in the provinces and villages it is important to prepare for burial as soon as possible in both places which have COVID-19 cases as well as those that are unsure. This is to ensure that these mass gathering do not become the super spreaders.
Should there be need and where possible, health workers will swab the body for COVID-19 infection for appropriate advice to family members and also for contact tracing.
COVID-19 measures must be adhered to
It is important that COVID-19 safe measures are strictly adhered to during these times such as wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing, frequently washing hands with water and soap or hand sanitizer.
The Ministry of Health understands the great impact of such measures to those losing a family member, close friend and loved ones. We will ensure that we maintain and uphold the respect and dignity our lost ones deserve and therefore call for understanding especially at this difficult time.
These measures are undertaken to ensure that we continue to preserve our health and prevent anymore loss of lives from the COVID-19 that is now in our communities.
Please do not hesitate to call the National Health Emergency Operation Centre (NHEOC) on phone 115 or 25256 or National Referral Hospital Emergency Operation Centre on phone 21068 for health advise and instructions on safe management of the dead.
Source: MHMS Media