São Paulo’s municipal funeral service plans on exhuming human remains of people that have been buried for more than three years to free up space for coronavirus victims.
To give families closure and protect frontline workers from being surrounded by a buildup of potentially contagious bodies burying the recently deceased has become a government priority.. But finding burial space is becoming an issue in the heavily populated city of São Paulo. Therefore in addition to building more spaces authorities are introducing an unconventional method to create space.
In a statement the municipal funeral service of São Paulo announced that plots on government cemeteries with outstanding fees and deceased that were buried more than three years ago will be exhumed and placed into bags. The remains will then be temporarily stored in 12 storage containers and eventually brought to other cemeteries.
Brazil has yet to reach the peak of COVID-19
São Paulo is in crisis, with more than 5,500 people dead from COVID-19.The city is a coronavirus hot-spot and Brazil is becoming one of the hardest hit countries in Latin America. .
Many countries around the world reached their outbreak peak over a month ago, but in Brazil the outbreak started relatively late as lock down restrictions were introduced too late. Experts believe that the peak in Brazil will be reached in August, but that the virus will still claim many victims
Economical crisis creates grave openings
At São Paulo’s largest cemetery, Vila Formosa there are an estimated 40 graves per day being exhumed, because of plot rental fees not being paid. The additional economic strain caused by coronavirus the exhumation hit this number has doubled, with 80 graves being exhumed per day.