No more room for COVID-19 fatalities in Mandaue City's public cemetery

The local government of Mandaue City said its public cemetery is already full and has no more space for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fatalities, according to Lou-anne Mae Rondina's report on "24 Oras" on Thursday.

City councilor Nerissa Soon Ruiz, chair of the committee on health, said the Mandaue Municipal Cemetery was already full even before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The LGU said the Mandaue Municipal Cemetery will only open room for more cadavers in August, the reason the city council passed a resolution to find a lot to build another public cemetery.

Based on the resolution, the mayor will be granted authority to negotiate with individuals or companies to buy a lot for the proposed public cemetery.

“I know na mayroon na ‘yang plano pero hindi nabigyan nga priority. So at least, sa nangyari, it has been an eye-opener na mayroon na talagang need, kailangan na talaga. So balikan na,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz added that part of the resolution is the council's call for a mortuary freezer which will be used as a morgue in the city hospital. She said the mortuary freezer will be used temporarily for COVID-19 fatalities.

“Ang mayroon lang talagang mga refrigerated morgue ay ang mga private hospitals. So kung hindi ka nila pasyente at mamatay ka, hindi ka talaga maipapasok doon. At dahil sa problema sa scheduling ng mga cremation o kaya saan ililibing, hindi mo kaagad mailibing ang (namatay na) pasyente,” she said.

So far, Mandaue City has recorded a total of 491 cases of COVID-19, including 12 deaths. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News