Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has made it mandatory to dispose of the bodies of coronavirus victims by the means of cremation, ignoring protests from the Muslim community which says the rule goes against Islamic tradition.
In a gazette notification cited by local daily Colombo Post, the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medical Services on Sunday announce the new regulations, saying that the corpse of a person, who has died or is suspected to have died of COVID-19 , shall be cremated at a temperature of 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius for a minimum period of 45 minutes to one hour for complete burning, for the purpose of prevention of any potential biological threat.
The gazette adds that no person shall handover the corpse of a person died of or suspected to have died of COVID-19 to any persons who undertake the necessary duties of cremation, nominated by the proper authority.
The reusable equipment shall be properly decontaminated and disinfected in accordance with the directions issued by the Director-General of Health Services, it said.
