Chile virus deaths prompt short crematorium services

Chileans are having to say goodbye to their loved ones without viewing their loved ones for the last time and in short ceremonies due to the large number of daily funerals amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nicolas Bergerie, manager of the crematorium La Recoleta, said that in a typical June, the number of services were between eight and 10 per day.

Now they do twice as many.

Chile has become a hot spot for the virus despite aggressive government measures to control its spread.

The South American nation has recorded more than 271,000 cases of the coronavirus and 5,500 deaths, according to government figures.

Most infections and deaths are concentrated in the capital, Santiago.

Bergerie said the high number of deaths has produced an accelerated cultural change towards cremation.

The crematorium takes fingerprints of the bodies to give relatives peace of mind since many didn't get to see their ill loved ones once they were admitted to the hospital and hospitals turn over the bodies in a body bag.