Cremation of Chinese coronavirus fatality deferred, funeral parlor backs out – Duque
MANILA, Philippines — The cremation of the remains of the Chinese national who died of severe pneumonia caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been delayed anew after a funeral parlor backed, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque said.
“Hindi pa. Naka-body bag, sealed (Not yet. It is inside a body bag, sealed),” Duque said Thursday in an interview on dzMM when asked if the Chinese national was already cremated.
“Isa pa ito sa nagiging problema namin dahil yung mga umoo, bandang huli, umaatras,” Duque lamented.
(This is one of our problems because those who agreed [to cremate the Chinese national] backed out in the end.)
Duque on Wednesday said a funeral parlor in Quezon city has agreed to cremate the remains of the nCoV fatality.
READ: Cremation of nCoV Chinese fatality set – Duque
“Sabi ko, maghanap kayo (ng funeral parlor) dahil lampas lampas na tayo doon sa nakatakdang panahon to cremate. So titignan ko kung ano magiging ulat sakin ngayon kung doon ba sa public cemetery, nakakuha na sila ng pahintulot,” he added.
(I said they should look [for a funeral parlor] because it’s already beyond the time when the body should have been cremated. I will wait for a report on whether permission from a public cemetery has been secured.)
Article continues after this advertisement“Di mo naman sila masisi, sinasabi kesyo maaapektuhan yung kanilang imahe, yung kanilang negosyo,” Duque said.
(You can’t blame them [funeral parlors] because they’re saying it might affect their image and their business.)
Last Saturday, February 1, the 44-year-old Chinese man died of pneumonia due to the 2019-nCoV.
He was the first nCoV fatality recorded outside of China.
His companion was the country’s first case of nCoV, a 38-year-old Chinese woman. Both of them traveled to Cebu on January 21 then to Dumaguete on January 22 before flying back to Manila on January 25.
