New Orleans Mayor Forms “Death Care Task Force”

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Tuesday announced she had formed a regional “death care task force” for the proper handling of coronavirus victims as coroners offices and funeral homes throughout the metro area reported a rush to properly store bodies and hold funeral services.

In announcing the city initiative, Cantrell publicly shared guidelines on managing, preparing and burying deceased residents as the death toll in Louisiana continued to rise, with Tuesday showing 70 new victims, the highest day-to-day number reported yet in the Pelican State.

Cantrell said the death care task force was comprised of funeral home directors, coroners, cemetery directors, hospital officials, faith-based leaders and other stakeholders. On Tuesday, she shared their Centers for Disease Control guidelines for safe handling of human remains that might contain COVID-19 because the virus can travel postmortem.

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