Japan eases COVID-19 restrictions on funerals
13:53 JST, January 10, 2023
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry revised its guidelines on conducting funerals and other events for people who died after contracting the novel coronavirus, in a move to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
The revised guidelines allow wakes and funerals for infected people to be held normally, saying there is no need to use body bags because the risk of infection from dead bodies “is extremely low when measures to prevent body fluid from leaking, such as plugging nostrils, are taken.”
The old guidelines, drawn up in July 2020, recommended the use of such bags and asked bereaved families not to touch the bodies of the deceased.
But bereaved families have complained that the guidelines made it impossible for them to give proper last goodbyes to their loved ones.
The revised guidelines allow attendees at wakes and funerals to touch the bodies of the deceased, only calling for disinfecting hands after touching.
Those who are identified as close contacts are asked to decide whether to attend those events after checking any symptoms they have and taking coronavirus tests.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Typhoon Kong-rey to Reach South of Japan’s Okinawa on Thursday; JWA Urges High Alert for Strong Winds, Heavy Rain
-
Typhoon Trami Forms East of Philippines, Moving Westward
-
‘Women Over 30 Would Have Uteruses Removed’; Remarks of CPJ Leader, Novelist Naoki Hyakuta Get Wide Attention
-
Typhoon Kong-rey Expected to Turn into Tropical Storm after Possible Pass Over Taiwan
-
Sapporo Sees Season’s 1st Snowfall; Snow Comes 8 Days Earlier Than Average
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Streaming Services Boost Anime Popularity Overseas; Former ‘Geeky’ Interest More Beloved Among Gen Z than 3 Major U.S. Sports
- G20 Sees Soft Landing for Global Economy; Leaders Pledge to Resist Protectionism as Trump Calls for Imported Goods Flat Tariff
- 2024 POLLS: Ruling Camp Likely to Win Lower House Majority
- Chinese Rights Lawyer’s Wife Seeks Support in Japan; Sophie Luo Calls for Beijing to Free Ding Jiaxi, Xu Zhiyong
- Chinese Social Media Still Full of Anti-Japanese Posts 1 Month After Boy’s Fatal Stabbing; Malicious Videos Gain Large Number of Views