Coronavirus victims’ bodies could be buried on New York island

People in New York who have died from the coronavirus and not been claimed by anyone could be buried on Hart Island, east of the Bronx, officials told CNN today.

“For decades, Hart Island has been used to lay to rest decedents who have not been claimed by family members. We will continue using the Island in that fashion during this crisis and it is likely that people who have passed away from Covid-19 who fit this description will be buried on the Island in the coming days,” said NYC Mayor Press Secretary Freddi Goldstein.

“These are people who, for two weeks, we have not been able to find anyone who says ‘I know that person, I love that person, I will handle the burial,’” she said. “These are people who we have made zero contact with the family.”

If morgue officials make contact with a relative of a deceased person within 14 days, the body will not be moved to Hart Island, said Goldstein. This is part of the city’s plan to ensure they have morgue space during the pandemic.

Prison inmates won’t be tasked with burying people on Hart Island, as they once were, said the Department of Corrections Press Secretary on Tuesday. Inmate labor on the island has been suspended for social distancing purposes.

The US has more than 462,000 cases and 16,500 deaths

The US now has at least 462,135 cases of the coronavirus and 16,513 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

The totals includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all cases repatriated from abroad.

Wyoming is the only state or territory that has not yet reported a death from coronavirus.

What you need to know

• The numbers: There are 1.6 million cases of the novel coronavirus and 95,000 deaths globally. The US now has more than 461,000 cases.
• Signs of hope: The main US model is now showing fewer projected deaths, down to about 60,000 people by August. And top doctor Anthony Fauci said Americans may be able to take summer vacations if mitigation strategies continue.
• Boris Johnson: The British Prime Minister has been released from intensive care, where he had been admitted for the coronavirus this week.

@ CNN