COVID-19 restrictions ‘heart-breaking’ says Bay funeral director
While funerals are normally a time when families come together, Coronavirus has put paid to that in Hawke’s Bay.
For Terry Longley Jr, Terry Longley & Son funeral director, these uncertain times are about making someone’s final send-off just as special even though their family can’t be there.
They are working with families to allow that extra time before they arrive to collect their loved one, as well as providing alternative arrangements to ensure a funeral or service can be held at some point.
“Of course we can hold memorial services for everyone later, but with the person buried and cremated already, it is far less meaningful for the family but something we will still encourage. It’s about doing something rather than nothing.”
Mr Longley says the current challenges as “the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire funeral career”.
“Most people are breaking down in tears and deeply saddened that they won’t be able to honour their loved ones wishes. But they do understand why, and ultimately, they are accepting of it.”
Since the country moved into alert level four restrictions at 11.59pm last Wednesday, the Havelock North funeral home has looked after 10 deaths unrelated to Covid-19 – the normal rate of about 1-2 deaths per day.
At this rate, Mr Longley estimates they could have as many as 30-50 deaths under lockdown for their funeral home alone.
Under these conditions, the Ministry of Health has imposed strict regulations on funeral homes, preventing viewings or gatherings of any kind from proceeding, including funeral and tangi.
Funeral homes have been instructed to cremate or bury the deceased as soon as possible with no family in attendance at the crematorium or cemetery.
They are also able to offer families the option of long-term embalming, which means the deceased is kept at the funeral home for up to 6-8 weeks. It is something they have done before and allows families to have a full funeral service once restrictions will be lifted.
Although, there is no knowing when that will be.
“As funeral directors every cell in our body is to help in any way we can. We want to offer families all the options and do with honour and dignity. Having to offer families very little of that is heart-breaking and goes against everything we stand for,” Mr Longley says.
“But together our staff know we are doing this for a great purpose, to stop the spread of a deadly virus and within that we can take some solace that we are doing our part to help New Zealand get through this.”
