Guidance

Guidance for those involved in managing COVID-19 deaths

Published 21 April 2020

If you are in a local lockdown, please refer to your local government webpage for more information.

1. Guidance for Local Authorities and Local Resilience Forums

1.1. Section 58 and Schedule 28 to the Coronavirus Act 2020

This guidance, on Schedule 28 powers in relation to transportation, storage and disposal of the deceased is for local authorities in England.

1.2. Guidance on closing certain businesses and venues

For information relating to funerals, burial grounds and cemeteries, see the ‘Non-residential Institutions, Places of Worship’ section.

1.3. Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020

1.4. Protecting groundwater when-developing or expanding cemeteries during coronavirus

This guidance is for local authorities or other cemetery operators to follow during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It covers avoiding groundwater pollution when proposing to:

• develop new cemeteries
• expand existing cemeteries

2. Guidance for the care of the deceased

2.1. Guidance for care of the deceased with suspected or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19)

This is a comprehensive list of guidance that has been developed to assist people who are required to manage the bodies of deceased persons infected with coronavirus (COVID-19). This guidance should be read in conjunction with HSE’s Managing infection risks when handling the deceased guidance below (4.1).

2.2. Collection of Public Health England (PHE) coronavirus guidance

This guidance provides general information on coronavirus (COVID-19) management for those working in any setting.

2.3. Clinical guide for the management of palliative care during the coronavirus pandemic

This guidance provides information on what to do at the time of death for those in palliative care. This can be found under the ‘At the Time of Death’ section.

3. Guidance for close contact with the disease

3.1. Guidance for first responders and others in close contact with symptomatic people with potential COVID-19

This guidance is for first responders and others who may have close contact with symptomatic people with potential COVID-19. Paragraph 11, relates to handling the deceased.

3.2 Self-isolation due to close contact

The funeral sector is a critical service and if you are identified as a close contact by NHS Test and Trace you are able to appeal. Government guidance states:

“If NHS Test and Trace identify you as a contact and you work in a critical service where the recommendation for you to self-isolate would have impact on providing that critical service, your employer will need to escalate this to the local Health Protection Team (HPT) for a risk-assessment.”

NHS Test and Trace: how it works

Find your local health protection team in England

4. Guidance for infection and disease management

4.1. Managing infection risks when handling the deceased

This guidance is applicable to those handling the deceased in mortuaries, post-mortem rooms, funeral premises, and during exhumations. This is not COVID-19 specific, but provides detail on standard infection control and transmission-based precautions that should be followed.

This guidance should be read in conjunction with PHE’s Guidance for care of the deceased with suspected or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) above (2.1), which is specific to COVID-19.

4.2. Notifiable diseases and causative organisms: how to report

This guidance provides information on notifications of infectious diseases (NOIDs) and reportable causative organisms including the legal duties of laboratories and medical practitioners. This is not specific to coronavirus (COVID-19).

4.3. Methods of Decontamination

This provides guidance on decontamination processes for infectious agents or other contaminants. This is not specific to coronavirus (COVID-19).

4.4. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

This factsheet provides information for employers (including the self-employed and franchises) on complying with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) to control exposure and protect workers health. This is not specific to coronavirus (COVID-19).

4.5. Blood-borne viruses laundry treatments

This guidance provides information on the laundering process for contaminated linens (including clothing) to avoid cross infection. This is not specific to coronavirus (COVID-19).

4.6. COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE)

This guidance sets out recommendations for the use of PPE.

Access to PPE:

All Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) have received a stockpile delivery of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that can be used to manage temporary increases in demand due to COVID-19 spikes, winter pressures or in case of any temporary issues with other distribution mechanisms. LRFs have been advised that PPE from the stockpile can be made available to any eligible social care, primary care and other public sector providers on the basis of clinical need in these circumstances. The private funeral sector should continue to procure PPE through their business as usual commercial supply channels. In the unlikely event that private providers find that they are unable to obtain the PPE through their usual suppliers, they can access emergency PPE via their local LRF stockpiles or via their Local Authority as a last resort.

4.7 Wearing of face-coverings

Sections which may be relevant are:

• when to wear a face covering
• when you do not need to wear a face covering
• face coverings at work

4.8 Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer travel for passengers

Sections which may be relevant are:

• private cars and other vehicles
• taxis and private hire vehicles

5. Guidance for verifying and registering a death

5.1. Completing a medical certificate of cause of death

This guidance provides information for doctors; covering issues doctors often ask about, and clarifying best practice under current legislation, including the Coronavirus Act 2020.

5.2. Coronavirus Act – excess death provisions: information and guidance for medical practitioners

This guidance provides information for medical practitioners (including doctors and coroners) on; medical certificates of cause of death, death registration, and burial and cremation, including the removal of form Cremation 5, introduced by the Coronavirus Act 2020.

5.3. Revised Notification of Death Regulations 2019 guidance

This guidance for medical practitioners on notifying deaths to the coroner is an amended version of previous guidance to reflect the temporary changes made by the Coronavirus Act 2020.

6. Guidance for managing a funeral

6.1. Guidance for managing a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic

This guidance is designed to assist people who are involved in managing or organising a funeral related to a death from any cause during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

7. Guidance on cremation forms

7.1. Cremation forms and guidance for doctors, funeral directors and crematorium managers

This provides the relevant forms and COVID-19 revised guidance for applying for a cremation, including certificates and authorisation forms for doctors, funeral directors and crematorium managers.

8. Guidance for coroners and the coronial sector in England and Wales

8.1. Chief Coroner’s guidance, advice and law sheets to coroners

This provides guidance for Coroners and the coronial sector on various matters relating to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Relevant guidance:

• Guidance No. 34: Chief Coroner’s Guidance for coroners on Covid-19
• Guidance No. 35: Hearings during a pandemic
• Guidance No, 36: Summary of the Coronavirus Act 2020, provisions relevant to coroners
• Guidance No. 37: COVID-19 Deaths and possible exposure in the workplace

9. Devolved Administrations

9.1 Scotland

9.1. Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for funeral services

9.2. Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for funeral directors

9.3. Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for burial and cremation authorities

9.4. Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on preparation for burial or cremation for religious organisations, faith and cultural groups

9.5 For further information relevant to Scotland, the Scottish Government communicates specific updates and requirements to the sector on its funeral industry blog.

9.2 Northern Ireland

9.6 Guidance for Funeral Directors (pdf, 820 KB)

9.3 Wales

9.7 Guidance for local death management: coronavirus (COVID-19)

Statutory guidance for local authorities on Schedule 28 and the powers in relation to transportation, storage and disposal of the deceased.

9.8 The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020

9.9 Guidance to local resilience forums and local authorities on funerals

9.10 Advice for the bereaved: coronavirus (COVID-19)

10. Other related information

You might find the additional links below helpful, in supporting the bereaved.

10.1. Information for the bereaved coronavirus (COVID-19)

10.2. What to do when someone dies: step by step

10.3. Tell us once: a free government service that lets individuals report a death to most government organisations in one go

10.4. Help with funeral costs (Funeral Expenses Payment)

This provides information on Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment) for eligible individuals.

11. Legislation - Coronavirus Act 2020

11.1. Coronavirus Act 2020

11.2. Coronavirus Act 2020 - Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations

12. Question not answered?

If you are involved in the death management sector and having consulted the relevant guidance you still have further questions you can write to covid19deathmanagement@justice.gov.uk and your enquiry will be directed to the relevant Government department.