Cemetery crisis in Greece amid virus surge

Even after death, families of COVID-19 victims suffer a new harrowing round of isolation in ssaloniki, city in Greece worst affected by pandemic. Under rules set by city authorities, coronavirus victims are being buried separately from ir loved ones in a separate section of cemetery.

Greece suffered an alarming setback in late October when an eight-month run of low infections abruptly ended and hospital wards were pushed to capacity. ssaloniki, Greece's second-largest city along with neighbouring areas in north of country, bore brunt of surge, for weeks reporting a higher daily number of infections than capital Ans despite having roughly a quarter of size of its population.

As infections climbed in fall, emergency rooms at hospitals was matched at two cemeteries in ssaloniki where pandemic victims are buried, on plots of land where earthmovers are used keep rows of graves freshly dug to ensure that funerals are short.

Flimsy white crosses and small signs, me of plywood, mark each grave. An Orthodox Christian priest stands under a small black marquee to conduct services, while grave-diggers and pallbearers wearing white coveralls handle funerals. Chrysanthi Botsari, 69, recently lost her 75-year-old husband to coronavirus. He died alone in hospital.

"y didn't tell us where he would be buried," she said.

"y just said he can't be in cemeteries with ors, because he has died from coronavirus. This to me is unacceptable, unacceptable. Inhuman. All se people died alone, without help," she ded.

Under Greek trition, remains are typically removed after three years of burial and taken to an ossuary, but under new rules coronavirus victims must remain buried for 10 years. Senior local official Petros Trakas said controversial burial measures were opted after failing to get any guidance from National Public Health Organization and he claimed large cemeteries in Ans were also burying coronavirus victims in separate sections.

Eleni Zagelidou, medical examiner of forensic Service of ssaloniki, said new burial measures are excessive. " use of two body bags and protective coating, as well as fact that re's information that se people are to remain buried for 10 or 20 years, I think that's far removed from reality of situation," she said.