THESE were the bleak words of Johannes Fortuin, owner of Fortuin Funeral Home in Bethelsdorp, Nelson Mandela Bay.
“In the beginning we started with strangers, but when we had to start burying friends and family members, people that we love, we realised just how much of a reality this virus is,” Fortuin said.
He said this past month was the first time he had ever considered expanding his building or even approaching his colleagues in the industry for help, just to have more space for the bodies.
Fortuin said that the virus has had a huge impact on the way funeral directors handle funerals.
“It’s not just about the personal protective equipment (PPE) that we now have to use, but there are certain strict regulations that we have to adhere to when dealing with a deceased person who died as a result of the virus.”
Fortuin said that the body needs to be wrapped in three different body bags as a safety measure if there is uncertainty regarding the cause of death. On the day of the funeral, if the person died due to COVID-19, the deceased is taken directly from the funeral home to the cemetery.
“The family is not allowed to wash or view the body or even carry the coffin as this needs to be sealed tight.
“Even at the graveyard, they cannot touch the coffin. The undertakers have to do everything as certain regulations need to be followed. It is cold and cruel, but unfortunately a harsh reality.”
Fortuin added that for some it is a tradition or maybe just something that provides a little bit of a comfort when family members take a shovel and fill up the grave after the ceremony, but even this is not allowed.
“I have to constantly be the bearer of bad news. I am the one who has to tell the family the body cannot go to the house on the day of the funeral, that they cannot say goodbye or even touch the coffin and it breaks my heart every single time.”
He mentioned that during the recent funeral of someone he knew quite well, who lost the battle against the virus, they were transporting the body from the mortuary to the cemetery when they coincidentally drove by the deceased’s house where the family was having a small ceremony.
“You should have seen that family’s reaction when they saw the hearse drive by with their loved one inside. It was the most difficult thing to see. We couldn’t even stop because we are bound by these regulations and had to continue to the graveyard.”
Fortuin added that the pandemic had also taken a toll on his employees. “Our staff are very scared and they are concerned. Every time they have to collect a body, they plead to get tested and all of this affects them emotionally.
“The closer this virus hits to home, the more I realise the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
“I do not see why people constantly have to go to places. Stay at home and keep the elderly at home, especially away from funerals,” he pleaded.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Premier, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, said during a recent command council briefing in Bhisho that the province should brace itself for the toughest month in August, with COVID-19 cases expected to double over the next five weeks.
“This will put our already strained health systems under more pressure, particularly on the availability of critical care beds,” Mabuyane said.
He added that the province had invested an additional amount of R2.5 billion from the adjustment budget to the Department of Health. From this budget, R1.6 billion will be spent on field hospitals, PPE, ventilators and ICU beds, among others.
“The hospital cleaning strategy is also in place and the roll-out has started at Livingstone and Dora Nginza Hospitals. The plan is to have a service provider contracted for six months to clean and train the hospital cleaners, especially on COVID-19 cleaning and waste management protocols.”
