[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The "funeral before cremation" option will become available for COVID-19 victims who had to be cremated without properly saying goodbye to their families due to concerns about further spread.
On the 21st, the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that the revised "Guidelines on Funeral Methods and Procedures for COVID-19 Corpses" will be open for administrative notice from today until the 26th.
Currently, for COVID-19 deceased, "cremation before funeral" has been recommended due to concerns about additional infections. However, criticism has arisen that this measure was excessive, and the authorities stated that since the guidelines were created early on when information about COVID-19 was limited, they would review the related content.
The main point of this revision is to allow bereaved families to directly choose the funeral procedure for COVID-19 corpses, including the option to hold a funeral before cremation under strict quarantine measures, in addition to the current practice of cremation before funeral. Along with this, the "COVID-19 Deceased Funeral Management Guidelines" will be revised to establish detailed quarantine rules for infection prevention during funerals, and pre-education and guidance will be provided to funeral facilities, funeral workers, and attendees to ensure no risk of infection.
Additionally, the Central Accident Response Headquarters urged over 1,100 funeral homes nationwide to actively cooperate so that the public can send off their loved ones with peace of mind according to the revised guidelines and instructions.
Detailed information on the revision can be found on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website. Organizations or individuals with opinions on the revision may submit their feedback to the CDCH Guideline Management Team by the 26th.
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