Italy Bans Catholic Funerals Because of the Coronavirus

(Photo : pixabay / niekverlaan)
The Catholic nation was exceptionally moved by a crisis national law in Italy which restricted common and religious ceremonies including memorial services, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Catholic nation was exceptionally moved by a crisis national law in Italy which restricted common and religious ceremonies including memorial services, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. This is just one of the numerous limitations for social occasions that have been set up in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Europe's epicenter.

Funeral gatherings are not permitted but the government officials have allowed priests to say a prayer at burials but very few of the bereaved can attend.

There are around 74,000 cases of people infected with coronavirus and 7,500 deaths in Italy are confirmed which has the highest death rate of any country in the world.

Numerous coronavirus casualties in Italy are compelled to spend their last days alone in hospital isolation. As a result of the high hazard, relatives and family members are not permitted to go near them - either to avoid from being infected or in light of the fact that they themselves are now under isolation for having been in contact with the individual. Also, the isolation orders proceed considerably after a patient dies.

Ciano Gatti, a mortician in Lombardy told CBS News, "There is a lot of fear, we have been introduced a directive to immediately close the coffin when someone dies."

With these news measures, families never again have the choice to make their friends and family look serene by brushing their hair, applying cosmetics or dressing them in a most loved outfit before burial. Even placing a note inside the coffin is rarely authorized by the government.

Gatti said, "we are becoming paranoid, especially when we enter people's homes or hospitals to retrieve the bodies." Many of those battling the coronavirus are the frontliners who worry about exposure to the virus on a daily basis.

Even by wearing full protective gear on the job, many undertakers have gotten infected by the coronavirus by pulling out dead bodies for mortification. When a healthcare worker is in quarantine, it adds to the problem of a shortage of staff when their services are in very high demand.

Gatti said, "many funeral homes have their entire staff under quarantine. My company's manager died. Unfortunately, no one is immune to the virus. Not even those working these essential jobs."

Reuters reported that a northern town in Italy, Bergamo have the highest number of cases infected of the coronavirus. Coffins have been piling up at churches because their local cemeteries are full. The military moved about 70 coffins to less affected provinces for the burials.

Italy's death count from the coronavirus hot a single-day peak of 793 on March 21. Despite having a large number of the death toll in a day, the country's Civil Protection Agency announced that the rate of new cases of infected people has fallen for the fourth day.