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required for any other part of the process. The unnecessary wearing of PPE can cause significant distress to relatives and friends, and should be avoided. 8.2.5 Care of the deceased person’s possessions See section 4 for guidance on the care of the deceased person’s personal possessions. 8.2.6 Repatriation of a deceased person Consult with the Irish Association of Funeral Directors for guidance on the repatriation of a deceased person from Ireland to another country. 8.3 Viewing or reposing of the deceased person in a mortuary, funeral home or other location Saying a final goodbye is important. Not having the opportunity to spend time with or say goodbye to a loved one can cause considerable distress to bereaved people and can impact negatively on their grieving process. Standard operating procedures, including allowing an open coffin, apply if the person’s death was not related to COVID-19 or if they died outside the infectious stage of COVID-19 (see page 5). If the person died during the infectious stage of COVID-19 (see page 5), the decision to allow an open coffin should be based on an assessment of the potential distress caused to bereaved relatives and friends from not being able to say goodbye, and the potential infection risk (see section 2). Other reasons as to why an open coffin is not advisable may also form part of the risk assessment and decision-making process. In general, wherever possible, facilitate relatives and friends who wish to view the deceased person. If the person died during the infectious stage of COVID-19 (see page 5): · Wear appropriate PPE (gloves, apron and FFP2 or surgical mask, eye protection) when preparing the deceased person for viewing. · Advise mourners discreetly that they should preferably not kiss the deceased person and should clean their hands after touching them. · Ensure that tissues, hand sanitiser and waste bins are available. · Clean all surfaces when the viewing has finished. In all places where viewing or reposing of the deceased person takes place, whether public or private, everyone must follow Government guidance on social distancing, wearing facecoverings and observing hand and respiratory hygiene, in order to reduce the risk of infection from close contact between mourners. People who have COVID-19, who have symptoms and are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test or who have been in close contact 16 with a person who has COVID-19, should not attend. Ensure adequate ventilation in the viewing/reposing room by opening windows for a time before and after viewing and keeping doors open if this does not compromise privacy. Published death notices should not give details of viewing times. See section 8.4 for guidance on wording for death notices. While relatives, friends or others may be involved in preparing and dressing the deceased person for burial or cremation, overall responsibility for this lies with the funeral director or funeral organiser. Some faith communities may choose to organise this aspect themselves. See section 8.2.3 for guidance on washing and dressing the person. For guidance on care of the personal possessions of the deceased person, see section 4. 8.4 Funerals Everyone present at a funeral must follow Government guidance on social distancing, wearing face-coverings and hand and respiratory hygiene, in order to reduce the risk of infection from close contact between mourners. People who have COVID-19, who have symptoms and are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test or who have been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19, should not attend. The maximum number of people allowed to attend funerals is subject to change. Visit https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e5175-resilience-and-recovery-2020-2021-plan-forliving-with-covid-19/ for regular updates. HPSC guidance for the conduct of funerals during the pandemic is available at https://www.hpsc.ie/az/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/funeraldirectorsguidance/COVID_reli gious%20settings.pdf. This guidance applies to all funerals, whether religious or not. Keep the chief mourners informed about the restrictions current at the time of the funeral. Arrangements notified in newspapers and online should discourage attendance in person, and instead encourage people who wish to pay their respects to follow the service online, where available, and to leave condolence messages online. The chief mourners can advise relatives and friends privately of the funeral arrangements. Published death notices should not give details of viewing times. Suggested wording for funeral notices could include: A private funeral will take place in line with current Government public health restrictions. Gatherings associated with funerals are not possible at this time. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, can follow the livestream on {day} at {time} via {link} Personal messages of condolence can be left at {link} 17 {person’s name}’s Funeral cortège will travel from {Place name - not building reference for the place of private repose} at {time} en route to location {place}. Local residents along this route are welcome to show their support for the family. All public health guidance should be adhered to. In addition: · Avoid the use of handwritten condolence books during the pandemic. · Where possible, encourage mourners not to share cars,
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