Politics
Brits forced to endure ‘extended grief’ as another ‘80,000 cremations and burials will fall under Covid funeral curbs’
BRITS are being forced to endure “extended grief” as tens of thousands of cremations and burials get set to fall under Covid funeral curbs in the months ahead.
Funeral directors reportedly expect another 80,000 services to fall under the restrictions between now and June 21 – the earliest date measures will be lifted.
Tens of thousands of cremations and burials will reportedly fall under Covid funeral curbs in the months ahead[/caption]
As Covid rules stand, only 30 mourners will be allowed to attend any funeral taking place in England within the next two months.
And charities last night backed calls for a review of the 30-person limit on mourners.
They warned the continued restrictions would mean “pain, distress and extended grief”, the MailOnline reports.
The National Association of Funeral Directors told the paper a further 80,000 families in England were “likely to go through the trauma of losing a loved one and arranging a funeral service” over the next two months.
And it demanded that ministers take another look at the rules.
“The Government has sought to balance keeping vulnerable people safe with the needs of the bereaved, throughout the pandemic,” chief executive Jon Levett said.
“However, now that the simple comfort of holding hands in care homes is permitted – and given the success of the vaccine programme and wide availability of testing – we would like the Government to reassess the restrictions at funerals, to minimise the ongoing suffering of bereaved people.”
The association analysed the five-year average number of deaths in England from the weeks ending April 24 to June 19 to work out the figure.
No more than 30 mourners are currently allowed to attend any funeral in England.
But there is no limit on worshippers attending normal services, meaning a church could hold many more people at a socially-distanced Sunday service than a funeral.
MPs have criticised the discrepancy, with senior Tories suggesting that the rules “make no sense”.
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