The Ministry of Health has banned all wakes, regardless of the cause of death and whether they are held in public or private facilities, including private homes, to limit the spread and contagion by COVID-19.
This is reflected in the ministerial order published today in the Official State Gazette (BOE), which specifies that in the case of deaths from COVID-19, practices of thanatoesthetics, interventions of thanatopraxia, or interventions for religious reasons involving procedures may not be carried out invasive on the corpse.
The norm includes other exceptional measures such as the restriction of funeral ceremonies. In this sense, the celebration of religious cults or civil funeral ceremonies will be postponed until the state of alarm ends.
However, in the burial or farewell for the cremation of the deceased, the assistance of three relatives or close friends will be allowed, in addition, where appropriate, of the person assimilated from the respective confession for the practice of funeral rites of farewell to the deceased. These people should always respect the distance of one to two meters between them.
The order also regulates, on the proposal of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, some of the conditions for contracting funeral services.
