Only immediate family allowed in wakes, says Labella

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella urged families of deceased individuals not to invite other people to wakes, especially if the deceased has been swabbed prior to death and the results are still pending.

The mayor said this after a family held a wake in Barangay Cogon Pardo, allowing people to pay their respects, only to find out later that the deceased actually tested positive to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Labella said that wakes are strictly for immediate families only as these are not considered as religious gatherings, although wakes are often imbued with religious traditions.

“We allow religious gatherings but wakes are not really religious gatherings, so it must be kept only within the immediate families,” said the mayor.

If the patient was swabbed prior to death and the result of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is still pending, the mayor urges the family members to be more vigilant and isolate themselves until the results have been released.

Even if the patient was not swabbed prior to death, the family must still lean on safety and avoid inviting other people to the wake. Having family members only at a wake will also make contact tracing easier.

However, if the patient died of the COVID-19, the body must be buried within 24 hours.

The mayor said the family members of deceased individuals should not be complacent as even in death, the virus can still infect others.

“If they will hold a wake, they should also follow basic health protocols such as social distancing, wearing of face masks, and regular disinfection,” said the mayor. /bmjo