São Paulo Opens 13,000 Mass Graves, Hires 220 Gravediggers to Avoid Funeral Collapse
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The São Paulo City Hall will dig 13,000 mass graves in cemeteries administered by the city and will increase by one third the capacity to hold burials amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bruno Covas announced on Thursday.
He said that among the measures, part of a contingency plan for São Paulo’s funeral services is the hiring of eight refrigerated chambers to store up to 1,000 bodies and the addition of 36 new hearses, more than doubling the current fleet of 32 vehicles.
“The worst is yet to come,” said Covas when referring to the Covid-19 epidemic, a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, during a press conference at the Bandeirantes Palace, the seat of São Paulo state government, alongside Governor João Doria.
“Our concern is to be prepared to organize and minimize the grief of families so that they may provide a dignified burial for loved ones who will be lost. That is why we have drawn up a contingency plan to ensure the adequate operation of funeral services here in São Paulo,” he said.
The mayor said the city will increase its burial capacity from 240 burials to 400 per day, in addition to purchasing personal protective equipment for the city’s burial agents and relaxing the city’s monopoly on funeral services.
Source: Exame
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