Coronavirus precautions
19 April 2020 - Public Health England published COVID-19: guidance for managing a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic
The Guidance states:
What you need to know
The grieving process and related formal and informal rituals, through which the bereaved mourn the passing of loved ones, are important for the health and wellbeing of the bereaved. The following guidance aims to balance the needs of the bereaved to mourn appropriately, whilst minimising the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. It details where exceptions can be made to the stay at home guidance currently in place. These exceptions only apply to the circumstances relating to the death of a member of the same household, a close family member or a friend.
Communities, organisations and individuals are strongly advised to take action to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) infection among mourners who are gathered to pay their respects, with a particular focus on protecting people who are clinically vulnerable and more likely to develop severe illness. These actions include:
Social distancing for mourners
Social distancing measures are actions to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) including:
Who should attend?The grieving process and related formal and informal rituals, through which we mourn the passing of loved ones, are important for the health and wellbeing of the bereaved. Interruption of this process is linked with negative impacts on both the physical and mental health of the bereaved.
Mourners who are symptomatic
Anyone who is showing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) (a new continuous cough or a high temperature) should not attend the funeral due to the risk that they pose to others; remote participation should be considered, for example live streaming.
Mourners who are self-isolating due to a possible case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in their household
Key mourners of the deceased person may include those who are self-isolating due to another member of the household being unwell with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). Where the funeral is scheduled before the period of household isolation has been completed (14 days from the first person in that household showing symptoms) mourners who are self-isolating should be facilitated to attend.
Mourners who are from a household that is self-isolating should:
Mourners who are extremely clinically vulnerable
Mourners who are in an extremely clinically vulnerable group should be facilitated to attend, should they wish to do so.
People who are clinically extremely vulnerable should have received a letter telling them they are in this group or been told by their GP. Mourners who are in an extremely clinically vulnerable group have been advised that they should minimise their contact with others for their personal protection. However, they may decide to attend a funeral despite the additional risk this poses to them and should be facilitated to do so.
They are not advised to attend a funeral if there are others attending who are self-isolating due to another member of the household being unwell with symptoms of coronavirus, as they could be incubating disease. Mourners who are extremely clinically vulnerable should follow the general social distancing advice for the clinically vulnerable mourners and should maintain a distance of 2 metres away from others as a minimum.
Actions to reduce their risk of infection could include:
Personal care of deceased people
Mourners are advised not to take part in rituals or practices that bring them into close contact with the deceased. Where there are aspects of faith which include close contact with the deceased, that contact should be restricted to those who are wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) under the supervision of someone who is trained in appropriate use of PPE. Detailed guidance on care of the deceased is available and should be followed, regardless of the setting in which personal care of the deceased is provided.
Given the very significant risk for vulnerable and extremely vulnerable people who come into contact with coronavirus (COVID-19), it is strongly advised that they have no contact with the body of the deceased. This includes washing, preparing or dressing the body.
Additional measures
Additional measures that allow participation in the funeral service without attendance should be considered, such as:
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Additional measures in relation to our burial grounds:
This page will be constantly reviewed.
Our best wishes to all.
The Guidance states:
What you need to know
The grieving process and related formal and informal rituals, through which the bereaved mourn the passing of loved ones, are important for the health and wellbeing of the bereaved. The following guidance aims to balance the needs of the bereaved to mourn appropriately, whilst minimising the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. It details where exceptions can be made to the stay at home guidance currently in place. These exceptions only apply to the circumstances relating to the death of a member of the same household, a close family member or a friend.
Communities, organisations and individuals are strongly advised to take action to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) infection among mourners who are gathered to pay their respects, with a particular focus on protecting people who are clinically vulnerable and more likely to develop severe illness. These actions include:
- restricting the number of mourners to be as low as possible to ensure a safe distance of at least 2 metres (6 ft) can be maintained between individuals
- alongside the Funeral Director, Chapel Attendant, and funeral staff only the following should attend:
- members of the person’s household
- close family members
- or if the above are unable to attend, close friends
- attendance of a celebrant of choice, should the bereaved request this
- mourners should also follow the advice on social distancing when travelling to and from the funeral gathering
- mourners who are self-isolating for 14 days due to someone in their household being unwell with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) but are not symptomatic themselves should be facilitated to attend the funeral in person should they wish to do so, with processes put in place to minimise the risk of transmission
- mourners who are clinically vulnerable or in a shielded group should also be facilitated to attend, with processes put in place to minimise the risk of transmission
- any mourner who is showing coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms (a new continuous cough or a high temperature) should not attend the funeral as they pose a risk to others; remote participation should be considered
Social distancing for mourners
Social distancing measures are actions to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) including:
- ensuring that you are at least 2 metres (3 steps) away from others
- following the guidance on hand hygiene and preventing the spread of infection:
- wash your hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and water or hand sanitiser, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, or after being in public areas
- when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or the crook of your sleeved arm (not your hands) if you don’t have a tissue, and throw the tissue away immediately. Then wash your hands or use hand sanitiser
Who should attend?The grieving process and related formal and informal rituals, through which we mourn the passing of loved ones, are important for the health and wellbeing of the bereaved. Interruption of this process is linked with negative impacts on both the physical and mental health of the bereaved.
- to minimise the risk of transmission only the following should attend, alongside the Funeral Director, Chapel Attendant, and funeral staff:
- members of the person’s household
- close family members
- or if the above are unable to attend, close friends
- attendance of a celebrant of choice, should the bereaved request this
Mourners who are symptomatic
Anyone who is showing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) (a new continuous cough or a high temperature) should not attend the funeral due to the risk that they pose to others; remote participation should be considered, for example live streaming.
Mourners who are self-isolating due to a possible case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in their household
Key mourners of the deceased person may include those who are self-isolating due to another member of the household being unwell with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). Where the funeral is scheduled before the period of household isolation has been completed (14 days from the first person in that household showing symptoms) mourners who are self-isolating should be facilitated to attend.
Mourners who are from a household that is self-isolating should:
- not attend if they have any symptoms of any kind, even if these are very mild
- maintain a distance of at least 2 metres between themselves and others
- advise the other mourners that they are otherwise self-isolating at home, and ensure that they do not attend at the same time as another mourner who may be extremely clinically vulnerable
- practise careful hand and respiratory hygiene:
- wash their hands more often - with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitiser.
- avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth
- covering their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in a bin
Mourners who are extremely clinically vulnerable
Mourners who are in an extremely clinically vulnerable group should be facilitated to attend, should they wish to do so.
People who are clinically extremely vulnerable should have received a letter telling them they are in this group or been told by their GP. Mourners who are in an extremely clinically vulnerable group have been advised that they should minimise their contact with others for their personal protection. However, they may decide to attend a funeral despite the additional risk this poses to them and should be facilitated to do so.
They are not advised to attend a funeral if there are others attending who are self-isolating due to another member of the household being unwell with symptoms of coronavirus, as they could be incubating disease. Mourners who are extremely clinically vulnerable should follow the general social distancing advice for the clinically vulnerable mourners and should maintain a distance of 2 metres away from others as a minimum.
Actions to reduce their risk of infection could include:
- advising other attendees that there is an extremely clinically vulnerable person attending and reiterating the need to stay at home if they are unwell, and to be respectful of the vulnerable person’s need to avoid close contact at any point
- advising the mourner to travel to the venue via the safest route possible, preferably in a car by themselves, or with someone from their household
- considering the additional risk involved if attending the funeral requires travelling by public transport
- ensuring that mourners who are in a clinically vulnerable group do not attend the same ceremony as mourners who are in household isolation
Personal care of deceased people
Mourners are advised not to take part in rituals or practices that bring them into close contact with the deceased. Where there are aspects of faith which include close contact with the deceased, that contact should be restricted to those who are wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) under the supervision of someone who is trained in appropriate use of PPE. Detailed guidance on care of the deceased is available and should be followed, regardless of the setting in which personal care of the deceased is provided.
Given the very significant risk for vulnerable and extremely vulnerable people who come into contact with coronavirus (COVID-19), it is strongly advised that they have no contact with the body of the deceased. This includes washing, preparing or dressing the body.
Additional measures
Additional measures that allow participation in the funeral service without attendance should be considered, such as:
- allowing additional mourners to participate remotely alongside those physically present where possible, for example by live streaming the service. Priority should be given to mourners who are extremely clinically vulnerable who may wish to access the service remotely if this service has limited capacity
- after the funeral, a deferred celebration or memorial service, which could be considered and held after the social restrictions are lifted and at a time when attendance and shared mourning can safely take place
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Additional measures in relation to our burial grounds:
- access - burial grounds are now closed to the public except for funerals and private visits to a grave until government restrictions are lifted
- notification - we must be told if the deceased died of corona-virus.
- restrictions on funerals - please refer to the latest guidance above
- time limits - please restrict gatherings to no longer than one hour; no marquees should be erected and no refreshments should be served
- contact with remains - we recommend that coffins should not be carried on shoulders. Our custodians will protect themselves by keeping a distance away from the funeral party and will not shake hands or have physical or close contact with funeral staff, visitors or mourners. Back-filling the grave will be carried out by machine only.
- office procedures - arrangements should only be made by email/phone/BACS - please scan and email forms as pdf copies
- cancellation - it is possible that we will not have the human resources to undertake the funeral as requested. We must therefore reserve the right to cancel at any time. If possible we will make alternative arrangements. If not, we will refund the burial ground's charges.
This page will be constantly reviewed.
Our best wishes to all.
