Zimbabwe’s Funeral Parlours Buckling Under the Pressure

Pressure on undertakers leads to widespread delays after record number of coronavirus infections and deaths last month. About half a dozen burials will be conducted in quick succession over the day in an effort to keep up with the grim task of burying Zimbabwe’s dead, as the third wave of the virus continues to claim hundreds of lives every week. We see hundreds coming to the parlour daily and some unlucky ones can wait up to three days to get relatives’ bodies. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, almost half of the country’s total Covid deaths up to that point occurred in July. Over the course of the month, 58,996 infections were recorded, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic, and more than 1,700 people died. To date, a total of 3,826 deaths have been recorded by the World Health Organization since March last year. The huge increase has overwhelmed undertakers, resulting in delayed burials, authorities have admitted.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN