24-hour Cremation Controversy Rages On 確診亡24hr火化爭議 藍營籲速訂指引

Central Epidemic Command Center chief Chen Shih-chung previously said there was no such rule forcing the remains of confirmed COVID patients to be cremated within 24 hours, and it's only reports that have to be filed within that time frame. However, on the 7th, he said the "as soon as possible" appearing in official directives means that bodies have to be cremated within 24 hours, and it's just that this wasn't spelled out. The Kuomintang, meanwhile, says local governments and the mortuary industry have no idea what to do because the central government is constantly changing its tune.

The government still has not clarified whether the remains of confirmed COVID-19 patients must be cremated within 24 hours. Central Epidemic Command Center chief Chen Shih-chung previously said there was no such rule, and it's only reports that have to be filed during that time frame. He changed his tune on June 7, saying the "as soon as possible" appearing in official directives refers to bodies having to be cremated within 24 hours. With central government officials changing their tune on a daily basis, local governments and the mortuary industry don't know who to listen to.

Wang Yu-min, Deputy Secretary-General, KMT: “Chen Shih-chung needs to stop sitting there twiddling his thumbs. Grieving families need to have the chance to say goodbye and their loved ones need to be treated with dignity. The Tsai government couldn't care less about this. That's why they haven't done a single thing about it, much less issue any guidelines.”

Hsueh Jui-yuan, Deputy Health and Welfare Minister: “The bodies of infected people can't be embalmed, so they need to be dealt with as soon as possible. Mortuary makeup can't be applied either because of the risk to mortuary makeup artists.”

The Kuomintang is blasting the central government for not giving grieving families the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones. The World Health Organization opposes hasty disposals, calling on member nations to respect and protect the religious practices and cultures of people who have died. Likewise, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Canada do not have cremation deadlines, only requiring that certain procedures be met. Taipei City's Second Funeral Parlor says it will continue to set up funerary plaques so that families can honor their loved ones.

Liu Jui-lung, Director, Taipei City Mortuary Services Office Second Funeral Parlor: “At present, we are not allowed to store the bodies of people that had COVID-19. We are in talks with the government. All we can do is send the bodies to be cremated and then set up a funerary plaque here. That's allowed.”

COVID-19 Patient: “I got it and I recovered, so it's really sad for me to see people dying and this happening. I wish they could be treated with dignity.”

The parlor says it cannot store bodies of people that had COVID-19 because it's a Category 5 communicable disease, and it is doing its best to protect the dignity of people who have died and the rights of their loved ones in any way it is allowed to.

染疫死亡個案，究竟是否要在24小時內火化完畢，引發爭議。國民黨召開記者會批評，先前指揮官陳時中說法，表示沒有要求在24小時內處理屍體，而是要先通報。但指揮中心6月7日改口，公文所指「盡速」處理遺體就是指24小時內，只是沒有明寫，說法一變再變，讓地方無所適從。

國民黨副秘書長王育敏說：「陳時中已經變成慢郎中，他們對於他們往生家人，想要用一個更莊嚴的方式跟他告別，但是這件事情，在蔡政府的心目當中完全不重要，所以都沒有處理，到目前為止沒有提出任何指引。

衛福部次長薛瑞元表示：「確診病患死亡之後的遺體，他沒有辦法做防腐的處理，所以仍然需要盡速，他沒有辦法做化妝，因為化妝的話，這個從事化妝的工作人員，他的風險會比較高。」

國民黨痛批中央沒有顧及染疫病歿者家屬無法見最後一面的衝擊，而各國確診喪葬指引，世界衛生組織表示，應避免倉促處置染疫死者，尊重保護死者宗教文化。另外紐、澳、新加坡及加拿大也沒有盡速火化的規定，都是要求在遵守相關管控程序前提下，做最後的告別。台北市二殯也正在研議設置染疫病歿臨時牌位區，讓家屬能前往祭拜。

台北市第二殯儀館館長劉瑞隆指出：「確診遺體目前還是不能，在館內做寄存的動作，那這部份我們也還在跟上頭研議，送火之後要再設牌位區，這個我們是沒有禁止的。」

確診康復民眾說：「我確診我痊癒了，看到（確診）死去的市民心情很低落，希望他們的離去更有尊嚴。」

館方也進一步說明，基於法規新冠肺炎為第5類法定傳染病，無法寄存，但仍會努力在許可前提下優化後事處理流程，兼顧防疫、亡者尊嚴、家屬追思。