Gauteng's funeral parlours see spike in clients amid COVID third wave Cremators, undertakers and funeral parlours are barely making it through the day due to the surge of COVID-19 deaths during the third wave of the pandemic. A morgue attendant at the Johannesburg branch of the South African funeral and burial services company Avbob checks the condition of a protective wrapping inside a refrigerated container where bodies of patients deceased with COVID-19 related illnesses are kept isolated ahead of their burials on 22 January 2021. Picture: AFP 14 hours ago JOHANNESBURG - The brutal third wave of COVID-19 infections has led to crematoriums being inundated with triple the usual workload, while Avbob funeral parlors across Gauteng recorded a 150% increase in clients in July alone.