Pan-blue Calls for Clarification on Cremation Regulation 確診遺體是否24hr內火化? 陳:未強制要求

Close to 3,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan since the pandemic began more than two years ago. Central Epidemic Command Center chief Chen Shih-chung recently said deaths have to be reported within 24 hours but there is no "mandatory cremation within 24 hours" rule. The KMT is calling on the central government to set clear guidelines.

Chen Shih-chung (June 2, 2022), Commander, Central Epidemic Command Center: “As for dead bodies, they can be cremated or buried deep underground. Cremations have their own procedures. Deep burials require applications. So, it's not like dead bodies must be processed within 24 hours. They just have to be reported within 24 hours.”

On June 8, 2021, Central Epidemic Command Center deputy chief Chen Tsung-yen discussed whether the bodies of people who died of COVID-19 had to be cremated within 24 hours. 

Chen Tsung-yen (June 8, 2021), Deputy Chief, Central Epidemic Command Center: “The management agencies of local mortuaries still follow a 24-hour cremation rule. They also follow CECC regulations and double-bag bodies.”

Wang Yu-min, Chair, Culture and Communications Committee, KMT: “The Ministry of the Interior manages all funerary matters. They admitted it themselves. They know that a 24-hour cremation rule is being followed locally. Why is Chen Shih-chung trying to escape responsibility? ”

Are the guidelines unclear, or did the entire mortuary industry misunderstand the central government's directives? The Kuomintang is criticizing Chen Shih-chung for pointing his fingers at other people, while the Democratic Progressive Party says the CECC never had a mandatory 24-hour cremation policy.

Cheng Yun-peng, Secretary-General, Legislative Caucus, DPP: “"Severe special infectious pneumonia" cases must be reported within 24 hours, and dead bodies either have to be cremated or (the family) has to get approval from local authorities for deep burial. There is no such "cremation within 24 hours" rule.”

The secretary-general of the DPP's legislative caucus, Cheng Yun-peng, says because COVID-19 is so infectious and there are also cost considerations, morticians are against leaving dead bodies in storage for too long. According to Cheng, this is why Chen said what he said despite the lack of guidelines to back it up. The KMT caucus is calling on the Ministry of Health and Welfare to set clear guidelines and cremation timetables to stop the confusion.

中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官陳時中6月2日提及：「至於處理屍體能夠火化，或者是說也可以深埋，火化就有火化的一個程序，深埋可能另外再來申請，所以並不是24小時內要處理屍體，是24小時要通報。」

這一番話，讓外界對於新冠肺炎確診遺體是否要24小時內火化爭議不斷，國民黨團找出去年6月8日副指揮官陳宗彥說過的話。

中央流行疫情指揮中心副指揮官陳宗彥當時表示：「在地方殯葬的管理機關的實務上，都還是依據24小時內火化，也依照指揮中心的標準做雙層屍袋的裝入。」

國民黨文傳會主委王育敏質疑：「所有殯葬處理的管理都是在內政部底下，他自己都承認了，他自己也都了解了，地方上的處理就是24小時之內的火化，今天陳時中為什麼要推得一乾二凈？」

究竟是指引不明確，還是殯葬業者有所誤解？國民黨痛批指揮官陳時中甩鍋。對此民進黨也拿出相關公文證明，指揮中心沒有要求24小時內遺體要火化。

民進黨立院黨團幹事長鄭運鵬指出：「嚴重特殊性傳染肺炎通報時間一樣24小時，屍體的處置是火化，或報請地方主管機關核准後深埋，這邊並沒有24小時一定要火化。」

民進黨團幹事長鄭運鵬強調，因為傳染風險高，殯葬業者認為放置久了也會衍生染疫風險及費用問題，因此陳宗彥才會說在實務上這樣運作，但規範上的確是沒有。國民黨團要求衛福部儘速訂出明確規範，重新規定火化時間。