Alvaro Calvo/Getty Images
As
Covid-19 infections increase in the Western Cape, undertakers are being urged
to stock up on coffins as deaths and funerals surge.
The
co-ordinator for the Undertakers United Front Western Cape (UUFWC), Pastor
Kenny McDillon, said it had been advising its members to be
prepared as it reported an increase in the amount of coronavirus deaths
after its members alone last week oversaw almost 80 burials.
The
organisation has about 300 small, medium and micro enterprises as part of its
membership, and does not include larger funeral service providers. Support independent journalism Subscribe to News24 for just R75 per month to read all our investigative and in-depth journalism.
Rorisang Kgosana On Christmas day, funeral homes saw at least a 50% increase in collection of bodies compared with previous years, said the SA Funeral Practitioners Association. A picture taken in a funeral house in Johannesburg, on 26 July 2020 shows coffins stacked at the warehouse. Picture: Marco Longari/AFP Funeral homes are preparing to work around the clock in the coming weeks as the Christmas holidays indicated a possible busy new year, with more Covid-19 deaths expected. The second wave saw a resurgence in Covid-19-related deaths, with 214 deaths recorded on 27 December compared with 89 a month prior. The country stood at a cumulative 26,735 Covid-19-related deaths, with the Eastern Cape and Western Cape leading with totals of 6925 and 6218 respectively. On Christmas day, funeral homes saw at least a 50% inc