The Department of Health today urged next of kin to claim the bodies of their deceased family members that are still stored at public facilities after completing due procedures - some 1,100 - so as to make funeral arrangements early.

The department said its three mortuaries, namely the Fu Shan, Kwai Chung and Victoria public mortuaries, have 506 fixed storage spaces. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the department reopened the Kowloon Public Mortuary while installing a new body storage facility near the Fu Shan mortuary in Sha Tin, taking the total number of storage spaces to more than 4,600 at end-March.

As the accident and emergency departments at public hospitals saw a larger number of deaths from late February to early March, the department adopted a special arrangement with support from Police.

From March to early April, the identification procedures of some 1,800 bodies were completed, all with a certificate issued by the coroner authorising burial or cremation.

As of today, about 1,100 bodies are still stored at the department’s facilities after completion of the relevant procedures.

The department pointed out that cold chambers and refrigerated containers at public mortuaries and the storage facility are designed for short-term use only, adding that storing a body there can only slow down but not prevent decomposition.

Hence, next of kin are encouraged to claim the bodies of their deceased family members to make funeral arrangements as soon as possible.