U.K. to Let Families Say Goodbye to Loved Ones Dying of Covid-19
U.K. to Let Families Say Goodbye to Loved Ones Dying of Covid-19
(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. government said it will allow families to say goodbye to relatives dying of coronavirus, relaxing strict quarantine rules that were causing significant emotional distress.
“We’re introducing new procedures so we can limit the risk of infection while, wherever possible, giving people’s closest loved ones the chance to say goodbye,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a press conference on Wednesday. “I’ve been really moved and upset by some of the heart-breaking stories of people dying without a loved one nearby.”
To date, Covid-19 sufferers in hospitals and care homes have been kept separate from families to stop the disease spreading. Hancock said he was particularly saddened by the case of a 13-year-old boy who died without a parent by his bedside.
“The sight of his coffin being lowered into a grave without a member of his family being present was too awful,” he said.
Hancock wasn’t specific about how the procedures would work. The government has been under pressure to improve the situation in care homes, where some staff have had to operate without protective equipment and residents showing coronavirus symptoms have not been tested.
The number of people who have died from the virus in the U.K. now stands at 12,868, an increase of 761, according to the latest daily figures.
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