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The country’s cemeteries will reopen to the public this Sunday, on the occasion of the Mother’s day, at a time when the safety and health standards imposed to stop the expansion of the COVID-19 they have prevented most funeral rites and mourning ceremonies.
The governor Wanda Vázquez Garced announced this Wednesday that the Health Department established a security protocol for visits to cemeteries, following the emergence of the new coronavirus on the island.
“We have taken into consideration that many people go to the churchyard to visit the home of their parents. As a result of this, we have taken measures to ensure that they can pay respect to their loved one, ”he said in a press release.
“Visits to cemeteries will be regulated by a uniform protocol, in order to comply with the security measures that we have established to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he added.
As part of the protocol, designed by the Auxiliary Secretariat for Environmental Health and the Public Health and Biosafety Laboratory of the Department of Health, cemetery administrators must ensure the health and safety of all citizens who visit them, as well as workers .
As a requirement, everyone who visits a cemetery must wear face masks. Similarly, the measurements must be guaranteed a distance of six feet between each person, but not between relatives who live under the same roof.
The protocol also establishes that the visit time will be between 15 and 30 minutes maximum, per family. Meanwhile, cemetery administrators They must ensure that access control measures are taken to their properties., to guarantee that the crowding of people is not encouraged and the flow of visitors is continuous. Cemetery opening hours must be in accordance with the curfew.
As part of the protocol, the cemetery must have sanitary services in optimal conditions, providing soap and water, in order to ensure that any visitor or employee can wash their hands properly.
Mayors took the initiative
However, before the president disclosed the new protocol, The mayors had already begun to establish their own guides, recognizing the cultural and emotional weight that visiting the cemetery has for many, especially under current circumstances..
“We want people to be able, above all, to bring their flower arrangement, make their prayer to the loved one. We know that it is a complicated, difficult time, where there are many feelings involved, “said the mayor of Guayanilla, Nelson Torres Yordán.
The municipal executives that so far have issued guides have imposed the use of mandatory gloves and masks and have limited the time and the number of people inside the churchyard at the same time.
For example, in the case of Guayanilla, the mayor reported that the cemetery will open on Saturday only for older adults and people with functional diversity. On Sunday the general public will be received.
The president of the Federation of Mayors, Carlos Molina, argued that there is receptivity among the counterparts of the New Progressive Party (PNP) to open the cemeteries.
“As a result of the conversation we had with the governor, we began to maintain the cemeteries at least so that they are accessible and, yes, we are contemplating opening. Cemeteries are open spaces and we should have no problem, always taking security measures, “he said.
On whether the sale of the typical bouquets of artificial flowers will be allowed at the entrance to the cemeteries, Molina indicated that this issue would be contemplated in the directive of Vázquez Garced. However, the statement he sent yesterday Strength does not mention that aspect. Other mayors indicated that they would not intervene with that type of business.
For the Carolina mayor, José Carlos Aponte, opening cemeteries is an act of solidarity and respect towards mothers and families during this emergency. “We wanted to open a space so that families could visit the graves of their mothers, grandmothers or those maternal figures of great significance to them. They will be allowed to enter in an orderly manner and respecting personal protection protocols, ”he explained.
The Mayor of Loíza, Julia Nazario, He said that the three cemeteries of the town have already been cleaned so that they are suitable for Sunday. “The loiceño is well attached to the traditions, to its people. After the Hurricane MariaLoíza was one of the municipalities with the highest number of deaths, so on a day like Sunday they always want to visit the graves, “he said.
Alerts before COVID-19
The infectologist Lemuel Martínez endorsed the initiative, although he recognized that the main challenge will be to maintain order and avoid lines, so he suggested establishing a shift system that allows people to wait in cars.
He added that you should avoid sharing the vehicle with people who do not live in the same residence. “The challenge is with older people who cannot be transported and, in that sense, prudence must be exercised beyond anything else,” said the doctor.
Martínez acknowledged that, on a positive note, cemeteries tend to be open areas, allowing the wind to flow. But still he urged prudence. “These are the moments where we must respect these social customs, but also respecting that there is a pandemic,” he said.
Epidemiologist Javier Morales, for his part, recommended that people not touch anything in the area, beyond putting flowers and staying for a while. For those who are used to carrying natural or artificial flowers, the call is to disinfect the stems and hold them by the clean area with a plastic bag.
A healing effect
The psychologist Carlos Sosa He recognized that going to the churchyard during dates such as Mother’s Day is very important for those who this custom is part of their religious discipline.
He argued that allowing a person to come to pay respects to that loved one, under current life circumstances, can be helpful in psychological terms. “The person feels that he has filled an affective need that is very important and it may be that he feels better, calmer and in agreement with what is happening. They want them to know that these beings are in their hearts and that, according to their beliefs, they understand that they are with them, “said Sosa.
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