“THEY COULDN’T TAKE ANY MORE BODIES” – DETAILS PROVIDED ABOUT WORRISOME WEEKEND

A refrigerated container is available in the event it is required to store bodies, after funeral homes reached capacity over the weekend.

The confirmation has come from Medical Director of Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, Dr Albert Duncan during an exclusive interview with ABS News.

Dr Duncan says funeral homes made the alarming revelation they could not accommodate more bodies, a situation he attributed mainly to the delay in completing autopsies, including some regarding criminal matters. This was compounded by the rise in COVID-19 deaths in recent days. Dr Duncan says the space crunch has since eased as the pathology department has completed about eight autopsies within the last three days.

He explains the refrigerated container has so far not been required, but is available as a temporary measure for emergency purposes.

The recent sharp rise in COVID-19 deaths, which has seen 15 people succumb to the viral infection in the last 9 days, had also proven to be a tipping point for the funeral homes.

The authorities had previously indicated the public cemetery is close to capacity; the government has been engaged in discussions to develop a new cemetery.