Funeral Providers Stand
Ready to Serve
Reposted from Toronto Sun, Ottawa Sun, Calgary Sun, and Sudbury Star | April 2, 2020
The Funeral Service Association of Canada says it is ready to serve during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Our members, who are funeral professionals located across Canada, are doing their best to serve the needs of the communities they serve during this pandemic,” said Brett Watson, president of the FSAC.
“We want to reassure Canadians that we continue to support grieving families and that their loved ones are still able to receive dignified funerals.”
Recommendations by the federal government and provincial governments to work from home and self-isolate does impact funeral providers, but the profession continues to operate.
Watson said funerals continue to take place with smaller gatherings limited to immediate family and with limited interaction between mourners.
All physical contact is discouraged.
“Unfortunately, Canada has seen its first deaths in several provinces due to COVID-19,” Watson said. “Funeral professionals are on the frontline of dealing with the deceased of this virus, and while we stand ready to serve, the health and safety of our professionals must be considered.”
Personal Protective Equipment is required for funeral providers to handle the deceased in a safe and sanitary way.
Gloves, masks and gowns are all part of the required protocols for routine practices and there are additional precautions for mortuary care.
Community and Public Health depends on the safe and sanitary handling of deceased persons.
Difficulty obtaining Personal Protective Equipment impacts funeral workers too, potentially impeding their ability to serve the needs of their communities.
“Although some provinces have designated death care professionals including funeral, crematorium and cemetery workers as essential, but others have not, we are calling on all governments to take the necessary actions to make funeral professionals an essential service and provide them with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment in order to allow them to continue to perform their duties,” Watson said.
“Our members are ready to continue serving their communities with the right government framework in place.”
As of Thursday morning, there were 818 COVID-19 cases in Toronto with 19 deaths. In Ontario, there has 2,392 cases with 37 deaths. And nationally, there have been 9,731 cases and 111 deaths.
