Apr 12, Colombo: The Minister of Health and Indigenous Medical Services has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification, announcing the new regulations with regards to the Cremation of Corpse of a person who has died of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to the gazette notification, the corpse of a person who has died or is suspected to have died, of COVID-19 shall be cremated at a temperature of 800 to 1200 degrees Celsius for a minimum period of 45 minutes to one hour for complete burning, for the purpose of prevention of any potential biological threat.

The cremation should be done at a cemetery or place approved by the proper authority under the supervision of such authority, according to the directions issued by the Director General of Health Services.

No person shall handover the corpse of a person died of or suspected to have died of COVID-19 to any person except to persons who undertake the necessary duties of cremation, nominated by the proper authority.

Furthermore, the attire and the non-reusable personal protective equipment used by persons who handle the corpse at such cemetery or place, shall be incinerated by placing them with the coffin during cremation.

The reusable equipment shall be properly decontaminated and disinfected in accordance with the directions issued by the Director General of Health Services.

The ashes of the corpse may be handed over to the next of kin, at the request of such next of kin, the gazette notification stated.