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Rules that prevent New Zealanders from being with dying family members during the Covid-19 pandemic could be relaxed as alert levels drop.
Director-General for Health Ashley Bloomfield said the area is something officials are “actively observing” during a public question-and-answer session on the coronavirus crisis on Monday afternoon.
People have been instructed to stay home during Alert Level Four, scheduled to be in place for at least another week, meaning family and friends have been unable to be with the dying if they do not live in your own domestic bubble.
THINGS
The rules around supporting the dying during the pandemic could be relaxed as alert levels drop, the director-general for health suggests Dr. Ashley Bloomfield.
The level of alertness has also caused anguish to those who mourn the death of family and friends, and only those in the bubble of the deceased can attend funerals.
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Others have had to watch live broadcasts of funerals and tangi, with some choosing to cremate their loved ones rather than bury them, which would be their preference during non-Covid-19 periods.
Some have arranged for the bodies of their loved ones to be stored in funeral homes until alert levels allow funerals to take place.
POOL VISION
The Director General of Health, Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, provides the latest figures on Monday, April 13, 2020.
Bloomfield acknowledged the “big impact” it has had on family and friends, as well as those who are dying.
“I can say that this is something that we are seeing and [it] it will certainly be something we want to give advice on, especially as part of a step down to restrict level three.
“I’m sure [we’ve] We all experience the death of a loved one in our own families and recognize the tremendous impact this has on family members and, of course, on those who die from having those who are so special to have around them, Bloomfield said.
Bloomfield previously joined Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a joint press conference in Parliament where they confirmed there were 19 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number in New Zealand to 1,349.
Bloomfield also confirmed a fifth death; a man in his 80s associated with the Rosewood home in Canterbury.
“We need to be prepared for new serious illnesses and possible deaths,” said Bloomfield.
It also confirmed two other groups of Covid-19: one at an elderly care center in Auckland and another small outbreak in Auckland.
Ardern also said officials planned to release more detailed information on what each level of alert would look like in the coming days.
