"In accordance with the instruction of the head of the district, we have prepared funeral facilities. In fact, we have been (ready) to deal with a surge in cases of funerals for COVID-19 patients since a few months earlier," Head of the Tangerang District Housing, Settlement, and Cemetery Office Iwan Firmansyah informed in Tangerang on Friday.
He said that his office has prepared 33 officers as well as 101 non-special procedure funeral personnel to anticipate a surge in burials requiring COVID-19 funeral procedures.
"We have also prepared the burial ground infrastructure at the Buni Ayu Public Cemetery, Sukamulya sub-district and we are also preparing the facilities," he added.
Under the current conditions, the funerals of COVID-19 patients can still be handled by officers without having to involve the public, he informed.
"As for our facilities there are 4 hearses, 33 funeral officers, 300 special coffins, including personal protective equipment, which have been readied," he said.
He recounted the experience during the second wave of COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant. In just a single day, the Tangerang district funeral team or officers were burying 20 to 30 bodies of COVID-19 patients, he said.
"Until now, we don't have one (dead body), and hopefully, it won't be like last year, when we buried up to 30 people. But now, after the vaccination program in Tangerang District, there have been no deaths from COVID-19," he remarked.
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Community activity restrictions in the Tangerang district area and two areas in Tangerang have been raised to Level 3 from Level 2, he noted. The change in status has been due to a continued increase in COVID-19 cases, he added.
According to data from the Tangerang District Health Office, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region has reached 37,640, with 8,342 people placed in isolation and 266 people hospitalized.
Furthermore, 28,634 people have recovered from COVID-19 and 398 patients have succumbed to the disease in the district so far.
Related news: Tangerang health office readies 296 beds at isolation centers
Translator: Azmi S M, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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