Funeral services overwhelmed due to coronavirus deaths in Spain capital Madrid

FUNERAL services in the Madrid region are ‘overwhelmed’ due to the high number of deaths from coronavirus, the regional Justice and Interior minister reported.

Enrique Lopez told Spanish media today Friday that although the transfer of bodies has “normalised” thanks to the Emergency Military Unit and firefighters, the system is struggling to cope with carrying out burials or cremations due to the sheer volume.

The “enormous” numbers of fatalities in hospitals, residences and homes in March due to the “exceptional situation” is creating problems, he said.

Deaths in the region’s old age people’s homes tripled in March.

Madrid already has two provisional morgues up and running, one at an ice rink and one in the building for the future Institute of Legal Medicine.

In the same interview Lopez said the figures indicated that Madrid is managing to contain Covid-19.

“I don’t want to say that there can’t be an increase,” the regional minister clarified, but said there were reasons for “some hope,” both in terms of the number of deaths and the number of people testing positive for the virus.