Funeral providers voice concerns over needed protective gear

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This article was published 01/04/2020 (2232 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Declared an essential service in Manitoba, funeral homes are concerned about having enough protective gear for employees to carry on amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Like in health care and other front-line fields, funeral home work has “changed dramatically” in light of the onset of COVID-19 in the province, said Michael Gibbens, president of the Manitoba Funeral Service Association.

Many funeral services have moved online or been postponed to guard against spreading the virus among mourning families, but burials, cremations and embalming haven’t stopped.

They might have to, if widespread shortages of masks, gloves and gowns continue, Gibbens said.

“The challenge of having enough personal protective equipment exists for everyone,” he said. “The need has increased everywhere.”

Protective gear is required for handling human remains in all cases, not just during a pandemic. Most funeral providers keep enough equipment in stock to get them through a month or two in normal circumstances. However, they’re anticipating a “domino effect” in the industry if there isn’t enough to go around, Gibbens said.

Being declared an essential service doesn’t put funeral providers in line to receive shipments of supplies from companies currently only shipping to government agencies, Gibbens said. There’s an industry concern protective gear will become more scarce and demand for funeral services will increase, he said.

As of Wednesday evening, Manitoba had recorded one death from COVID-19.

Funeral providers aren’t officially informed of causes of death due to privacy regulations, but they have to keep working and have been advised to take extra precautions, Gibbens said, such as: limiting the number of people in their vehicles, wiping down all equipment and sanitizing the outside of the shrouds in which they wrap bodies.

Last week, the World Health Organization released guidelines for handling bodies of those who have died from confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, indicating there is no evidence of this kind of transmission.

“The longer this goes, the more difficult it’s going to become for everybody,” Gibbens said. “The quicker we all do our part in bringing the curve down, it just makes it a lot easier for everyone to not have to worry about it.”

While public gatherings have traditionally been an important part of the grieving process, the pause on groups of 10 or more people doesn’t mean family and friends can’t support each other in mourning. Livestreaming of funeral services and online guestbooks are now commonplace, despite the lack of physical contact.

“It’s still important to reach out and communicate with the person who’s lost a loved one,” Gibbens said. “This is a time when it’s very important for us to come together as a community.”

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay