TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The latest Health Ministry decree filed under No.HK.01.07/MENKES/4834/2021 oversees the funeral guidance and burial protocols of people who have died from Covid-19, Antaranews reported.

This was the focal point of the online university discussion that discussed curing and burying the bodies of people succumbing to the virus as the decree now allows the bodies of Covid-19 patients to be buried in a public cemetery.

“Bodies that have been processed well would have no trouble to be buried anywhere in public cemeteries,” said Deni Kurniadi Sunjaya, Padjadjaran University’s public health sciences division in the event.

However, he asserts the main problem revolves around relatives who accompany the burial process which is feared to potentially create new coronavirus clusters. “There is no potential for transmissions when the bodies are processed correctly,” he said.

The university lecturer studied the government’s policy and suggested the Covid-19 cemeteries that are introduced to handle surging cases do not need to be called as such to avoid creating public stigma.

Sunjaya argues that as long as the bodies are handled correctly in accordance to pandemic protocols which was echoed by Yoni Syukriani from Padjadjaran University’s Department of Forensic and Medicolegal Medicine.

Syukriani insists that as long as a body does not exert aerosols or liquids, which researchers believe can potentially spread the virus, it would be safe for normal burials.

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ANWAR SISWADI