Refrigerated containers to be used as temporary morgues

The coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) outbreak has altered the burial ritual and changed the way people say goodbye. Right now, ceremonies are very short and sometimes corpses are waiting in the storage facilities.

This week a container has quietly appeared in the courtyard of Helsinki Valley Hospital. According to Ilta-Sanomat, these are refrigerated containers to be used as temporary morgues during the Covid-19 epidemic.

The coronavirus is increasing the number of deaths compared to normal time. When hospitals do not have enough space for corpses, some are stored in cold containers for a while.

Laura Pikkarainen, Chief Medical Officer of Laakso Hospital, confirmed the information. According to her, they already use containers.

Pikkarainen said, “In Finland, burial processes have already slowed down due to the coronavirus. The whole nation is now subject to a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people and therefore the burial of the dead will be longer than usual.”

Containers are already needed because of the epidemic, but not yet directly for corona deaths. However, the situation will change.

For the peak of the epidemic

“When the corona epidemic has reached the peak we will need cold containers. They are really needed as temporary storage facilities,” said Pikkarainen.

According to IS data, electricity already went into the containers last weekend so that their cooling mechanism started immediately.

In Madrid, Spain when the ordinary morgues were full, an ice rink was transformed into a morgue. In Uusimaa, cold containers will also be used as temporary morgues elsewhere.

“The second temporary storage place for the corpses will go to Malmi,” explained Pikkarainen.

According to last week's assessment by Mika Salminen, THL's Director of Health Safety, it is difficult to predict coronavirus mortality rates. There are some studies on the subject from around the world, but they may not be equated with Finnish conditions.