The Ministry of Public Health has issued guidelines to family members of persons who died from COVID-19 on the burial or cremation of the bodies of their loved ones.
Deryck Jaisingh and John Lewis became the fifth and sixth persons, respectively to pass away after contracting COVID-19. Jaisingh died just over two weeks ago after he had developed severe symptoms of the virus and his condition worsened.
Stabroek News had reported that the businessman/miner made numerous attempts to contact the COVID-19 hotline to report the severity of his symptoms but never got any response until 11 days later and by then his condition had gotten significantly worse.
Lewis passed just one day after Jaisingh. He was admitted to the COVID-19 intensive care unit the day prior to his death as he was exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
According to Melissa Jaisingh, Deryck’s daughter, the family was able to bury him, however certain protocols had to be put in place and the Public Health Ministry had given them advice on what should be done to ensure their safety. Melissa told Stabroek News that family members and close friends who attended the funeral were unable go close to Jaisingh’s body while physical and social distancing protocols had to be observed. She noted that family members are still trying to come to grips with the shocking loss while some persons who were in close proximity to Jaisingh prior to his death have been tested for the virus.
Lewis’ son Robert, who was the one that took his father to the hospital after he started showing symptoms of the virus, stated that he was tested for the virus and the results were negative. He noted that it was only recently that his father’s body was turned over to the family.
In addition, the Chief Medical Officer Shamdeo Persaud recently stated that the Ministry of Public Health had started working with mortuaries across the country to ensure that precautions are maintained when dealing with the bodies of persons who would have died as a result of COVID-19.
