Help
Reminder on funeral guidance in Northants
| Author: N | Published: 12th May 2021 09:51 |
Lucy Wightman Joint Director of Public Health - North and West Northamptonshire Councils
Public Health Officials are reminding residents who are planning a funeral to respect official organisers who are adhering to COVID- 19 government guidance when limiting numbers of attendees.
Keeping overall numbers as low as possible at funeral services reduces
the risk of spreading COVID-19 and funeral ceremonies currently must have no more than 30 people attending, whether indoors or outdoors. This number does not include anyone working at the event.
The actual number of people permitted to attend depends on how many people can be accommodated safely within the premises with social distancing, and where the venue manager has carried out a risk assessment and taken all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
This week new government guidance for managing funerals is expected to be published and will officially allow for higher numbers than 30 to attend a service from 17th May. However, venues in Northamptonshire and across the nation will still only be able to host as many people as they can safely accommodate within social distancing guidelines. The current social distancing guidelines dictate that all attendees at a funeral service are advised to remain 2m away from anyone they do not live with (unless they have formed a support bubble). This means that whilst the government guidance on attendee numbers may change, it will only affect larger venues which can host larger numbers safely.
Lucy Wightman Joint Director of Public Health - North and West Northamptonshire Councils says:
“We are living through very distressing times and I understand that the guidelines are arbitrary and may even feel cruel. However, the regulations are in place for your safety and the safety of all attendees.
“When organising a funeral service, it is really important to remember that indoor venues in Northamptonshire, and across the nation, are still only legally permitted to host as many people as can safely be
accommodated within social distancing regulations. Until the social distancing guidelines are reviewed, we must abide by the rules.”
COVID-19 Funeral Guidance:
Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 (a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell), should not attend a funeral. You should immediately self-isolate, follow the stay at home guidance, and request a test online, or by contacting NHS 119 via telephone if you do not have internet access.
Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating due to a positive test result or having been instructed to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, should not attend a funeral due to the risk you pose to others.
By following instructions to self-isolate, you will be protecting family, friends, colleagues and other people around you, and will play a direct role in stopping the spread of the virus.
Follow the guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus infection. Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person is also available.
If you are legally required to self-isolate, you may only break self- isolation to attend a funeral if it is of a close family member (for example, a partner, parent, sibling, child or grandparent).
You must not break your isolation to attend other commemorative events under any circumstance. This would be a legal offence and you may be fined. You must otherwise continue to self-isolate unless there are other circumstances present that legally allow you not to.
Even if you are a close family member of the deceased (for example a partner, parent, sibling, child or grandparent), you are strongly advised to attend remotely if possible, for example through a video link. However, if after very careful consideration of the risk, you choose to attend a funeralin person, it is essential that you take all the following precautions.
- advise the funeral venue manager, event organiser and other mourners in advance that you are in your self-isolation period. It is a legal requirement for a venue manager to complete a risk assessment and take all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Other mourners need to be aware of this prior to attending
- take extra care to keep your distance and avoid contact with another mourner who may be clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable
- maintain a distance of at least 2 metres at all times between yourself and other mourners
Practice strict hand and respiratory hygiene by:
- wearing a surgical-grade Type IIR face mask or higher grade, properly fitting, to minimise any risk of viral transmission from yourself to others. If a respirator mask is used (for example N95), this should be non-valved. Type IIR masks are widely available from pharmacies, supermarkets and online retailers. You are advised to provide your own face mask, but those organising the funeral may also want to ensure they have some in stock
- washing your hands more often than usual with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using a hand sanitiser
- avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- covering your coughs or sneezes
- advise the funeral venue manager, event organiser and other mourners in advance that you are in your self-isolation period. It is a legal requirement for a venue manager to complete a risk
- assessment and take all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Other mourners need to be aware of this prior to attending
- take extra care to keep your distance and avoid contact with another mourner who may be clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable
- maintain a distance of at least 2 metres at all times between yourself and other mourners Practise strict hand and respiratory hygiene by:
- wearing a surgical-grade Type IIR face mask or higher grade, properly fitting, to minimise any risk of viral transmission from yourself to others. If a respirator mask is used (for example N95), this should be non-valved. Type IIR masks are widely available from pharmacies, supermarkets and online retailers. You are advised to provide your own face mask, but those organising the funeral may also want to ensure they have some in stock
- washing your hands more often than usual with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using a hand sanitiser
- avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• covering your coughs or sneezes
Report this article as inappropriate
Comments
You need to log in before you can do that! It's only a quick registration process to join the AMA network and completely free.
Loading...
Help