By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Jan 26: Only 30 close family members are allowed to attend pre- and post-funeral ceremonies such as wake and ‘ngetas ulit’ at any one time.
Note that the capacity attendance is subjected to the size of home, longhouse or funeral parlour after taking into account adequate physical distancing of at least one metre.
The attendance for the burial ceremony, on the other hand, is limited to 20 people comprising service bearers and close family members only.
This is the latest standard operating procedure (SOP) for funeral ceremonies under Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional MCO issued by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
Under the SOP, children aged 12 years and below as well as those in the high risk groups are not encouraged to attend funeral and burial ceremonies.
Individuals with symptoms such as fever, cough, flu or with body temperature over 37.5 degree Celsius are prohibited from any ceremonies.
As for the distribution of food and beverage, only packed food or ‘served buffet’ are allowed.
Attendees are also not allowed to share utensils such as glass, plates, bowls as well as fork and spoon. Usage of disposable utensils is encouraged.
Gambling activities such as ‘holo’, card games or any kinds of gambling are not allowed.
For attendees, they must wear face masks at all times and wash their hands frequently with soap or use hand sanitisers.
Physical greetings or contact with one another is discouraged and crowding of common areas as well as mingling in close proximity should be avoided.
Attendance record book or QR code for scanning with MySejahtera mobile app should be readied by those arranging the ceremony such as heads of household, Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) or operators of funeral parlours.
Provide clear floor and door markers to guide people coming in one door and out from another door.
A counter should be set up at the entrance to check body temperature of attendees as well as to ensure that all attendees check-in manually or via MySejahtera app and have their face masks on.
Heads of household, Village Security and Development Committees (JKKKs) or operators of funeral parlours must ensure compliance with SOP throughout funeral and burial ceremonies especially physical distancing. — DayakDaily
