The city government has prepared three cremation centers designated for the COVID-19 mortalities.
In an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Friday, Mayor Sara Duterte said that the identified centers are the Davao Memorial Park, Cosmopolitan and the St. Peter Funeral Home. Also, the cadavers should be cremated within 24 hours.
“This (cremation) has been recommended by the (infectious diseases) doctors. Nobody knows how long the virus will last inside a dead patient’s body,” she said.
She said that no funeral rites or ceremonies will be held for these patients.
However, she said that St. Peter is not yet operational for now.
Indigent patients under investigation who died while waiting for their confirmatory results will be taken care of the city government. Presently, three of these poor PUIs were already cremated.
But she said it is up to the Department of Health (DOH) to disclose the total number of cremated patients.
Earlier, Duterte revealed that city government has prepared a mass burial site in Tagakpan, Davao City in case the health situation deteriorates.
In a recent virtual presser, the DOH said COVID-19 patients who will die to the disease must be buried or cremated within 12 hours.
DOH XI regional director Dr. Annabelle Yumang said on Wednesday, March 25, during the presser, that families of the victim are not allowed to go near them unless it is already inside the coffin or has been cremated.
She said that from the hospital, the body must be properly sealed in a leaked-proof bag and be placed in a metal casket. It should be ensured that it is airtight to prevent the contamination of the virus.
The Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 confirmed that the two new positive cases in the region are from Davao Oriental.
The Department of Health has not yet released any information on the description of these new patients.
