A temporary mortuary has been established in Dundee as the area prepares for a possible wave of deaths.
The facility, based at the Technology Park, has been created as a precautionary measure if the city’s other mortuaries become overrun.
It comes after Perth and Kinross Council built a last-resort emergency mortuary, featuring a large walk-in freezer unit, at the former Travis Perkins site at the Inveralmond industrial estate.
Angus Council says it has “identified additional premises which are available if required”.
The mortuaries are only being put in place as part of worst case scenario preparations.
Paul Craigie, who owns Affertons Funeral Care in Dundee, said “hopefully the facilities will never be needed”.
“We haven’t seen a surge in demand for funerals yet,” he said.
“Nobody knows whether our area will see the numbers we’re seeing elsewhere.
“Our issue just now is sourcing the things we need.
“There is a slight shortage of body bags but under the guidelines these are not necessarily needed and were not always used before this crisis.
“We have been waiting for three weeks for coffins to be delivered from a major supplier in England.
“Usually they arrive within seven days. It’s a bit of a worry but we should see some arrive this week.”
Strathmore Funeral Directors in Forfar said the company has seen its first coronavirus-related deaths in recent days.
A spokesperson said he feared many more in the coming weeks.
It comes after Scotland’s chief medical officer pleaded with the country’s bereaved not to delay funerals to avoid a backlog within mortuaries.
Funeral directors in the local area say they have had no such issues and that families have been understanding of the situation.
Mr Craigie added: “We have been making it quite clear that things are not going to change and that holding off is absolutely futile.
“People are aware and, to be fair, have been great.
“They understand the situation and we haven’t had any adverse reaction.
“It’s maximum 10 people at a funeral just now and it’s heartbreaking when family and friends can’t go.”
One such measure going someway to help the bereaved is live-streamed funerals with those wishing to watch from home given a password to access an online video link.
Dundee Crematorium has had the system in place since November 2018 but has seen a significant increase in its usage.
The cost of the service has been reduced due to the current circumstances.
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The city council is working with its partners including NHS Tayside and Police Scotland to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and the impact that it is making on people and communities across the city.
“There are a number of contingencies that are being planned for, including preparations in the event that capacity at existing mortuary facilities is exceeded, as agencies continue their efforts during what is a fast-moving emergency.
“We are dealing with sensitive situations where we all need to respect the grief of families of individuals.
“Our ongoing message to people is to follow national advice in the campaign to tackle the virus.”
An Angus Council spokesman said: “As with any major and ongoing incident it is imperative that all contingencies are considered and provided for.
“Working together, the local resilience partnership has identified additional premises which are available if required.
“Our priority in this regard is ensuring the dignity and respect of those concerned.”
