A temporary mortuary has now been constructed in Bristol to help cope with the expected rise in numbers of coronavirus victims.
Work to install six chilled containers covered by a large gazebo to store the dead began at the Sandy Park vehicle depot site on Tuesday (April 7).
The temporary mortuary will have capacity for up to 240 bodies, increasing the capacity for deceased people in Bristol by almost two-thirds.
The mortuary will be solely devoted to Covid-19 victims, while hospitals have increased their general capacity for patients who have died over the last few weeks.
Restrictions will be in place to protect staff based at Sandy Park who will be offered continued emotional support.
Bristol City Council has said that aside from the temporary construction work in the top car park between Bloomfield Road and Sandy Park Road in Brislington, nearby residents will not be affected and the mortuary will be discreetly concealed.
It has written to neighbours to keep them informed.
The authority has also confirmed the mortuary will be fully secure and private in respect for the deceased and for the safety of people working there.
Announcing the plans earlier this week Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said: “We’re faced with a heart-breaking but necessary task, to ensure our city is fully prepared in the next few weeks.
“Unfortunately, the sad reality is that we are likely to see a significant number of people lose their lives to coronavirus and we must be ready to ensure we deal with that in the most dignified and sensitive way possible so we can respect the deceased and their families.”
