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People are being left with “no chance to see their loved ones again,” thanks to an emergency national law. The law bans civil and religious ceremonies, including funerals, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
As the novel coronavirus pummels Italy, they’re taking drastic measures. One of those includes enacting an emergency ban on all civil and religious ceremonies. So far, Italy has had almost 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and over 10,000 deaths.
This is currently the highest COVID-19 death toll in any country in the world. Many victims of coronavirus are forced to spend their final days alone in hospital isolation. Their family and friends are not allowed to visit because of the high risk involved.
To avoid being infected, people aren’t allowed to approach those in hospital isolation, and many are already under quarantine because of their prior exposure to those in isolation.
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Giulio Dellavite, a general secretary of the Bergamo Diocese, spoke with CBS News about the situation.
“There is immense pain,” he said. “Hospitals are absolutely full. There is no space for sick patients, so they stay in the hallways with their oxygen masks. Due to the contagiousness level of the virus, family members are not allowed to visit the hospitals.”
Families can only contact one another using cellphones, if the victim is able to talk at all.
When a patient dies, the isolation continues. However, sometimes close family members can attend the funeral. Priests can also say a prayer during the burials.
“When a patient tests positive, family members must stay isolated for 15 days due to the risk of contagiousness. If during those two weeks the patient dies, those isolated family members cannot participate in the burial,” Dellavite explained.
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“This means that for many, there is no chance to see their loved ones again. And this means that many are being buried alone.”
Dellavite said his friend couldn’t attend his father’s funeral.
“A priest friend of mine called me. His father passed away from the virus. He’s currently self-isolating, so is his mom and so are his siblings. There will be no funeral. His father will be taken straight to the cemetery and buried without anyone being able to participate in this essential moment of humanity and Christian piety.”
With the ban now in place, families in Italy no longer have the ability to take part in the normal traditions that surround the death of a loved one. Before, they could brush their loved one’s hair or lovingly apply makeup. They could choose a special outfit or place a note inside the coffin. But they can’t do those things anymore.
Ciano Gatti, a Lombardy undertaker, said,
“There is a lot of fear. We…immediately close the coffin when someone dies. We are becoming paranoid. Especially when we enter people’s homes or hospitals to retrieve the bodies.”
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