Dec 01, Colombo: The Government has decided to cremate the unclaimed bodies of persons died of COVID-19.

The dead bodies of the COVID-19 victims not claimed by the relatives and guardians will be cremated at the expense of the government, the Director General of the Disaster Management Center Major General (Retd) Sudantha Ranasinghe said in a notification.

Several bodies of such victims have already been collected at the mortuaries of government hospitals.

Following the President's attention to this situation, it has been instructed that such bodies be cremated immediately at the expense of the Government in accordance with health and legal instructions.

Retired Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, Director General of the Disaster Management Center, said that the Center has been instructed to bear the cost.