SWAKOPMUND – The bodies of people who have died from the coronavirus will be buried in already existing cemeteries at Walvis Bay.

The decision was taken after thorough consultations with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Erongo governor Neville Andre-Itope told Nampa in an interview yesterday. 

He said a resolution was reached during a council meeting by the Walvis Bay municipality to utilise existing cemeteries at the town for these burials.

“We have also engaged the bereaved families and they are all satisfied and as we speak, the municipality is busy preparing the areas where the bodies are to be buried,” he noted.

The governor added that the ministry of health assured them that once a body has been properly handled, it can be placed and buried in a coffin as opposed to what was the case with the first burial.

“All the bodies will now be wrapped in body bags and placed in coffins before being buried. This will therefore be a normal burial and a limited number of family members will be allowed to attend after they have been provided with the right personal protective clothing, while the rest will be allowed to attend from a distance in adherence to the regulations,” Andre-Itope explained.

The date of burial for the rest of the deceased has not been established yet. The governor however noted that preparations are underway and the municipality has requested the family members to pick a cemetery of their choice from existing cemeteries where they would prefer their loved one to be buried, which will then be prepared for them.

Meanwhile, Andre-Itope yesterday also handed over sanitation booths and foot pedal hand sanitiser dispensers to the ministry of health in the region.

The donation, made possible by the Erongo RED, consisted of three booths and five sanitation dispensers.

Andre-Itope, during the handover, said this was a way in which the private sector is looking at getting involved in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The equipment will be placed in the neediest stations at health centres where most health workers exposed to the virus operate from as it is able to sanitise clothes for up to eight hours,” he
explained.

Receiving the donation, Erongo health director Anna Jonas expressed gratitude on behalf of the health care workers.

The donation was also preceded by N$250 000 worth of food parcels and N$800 000 worth of immune boosters from Standard Bank Namibia on Tuesday. The donation was directed toward the Covid-19 positive cases at Walvis Bay and was received by the governor. -Nampa