3.1  Management and coordination
• Identify who has been designated as the lead Ministry/Department responsible to coordinate the Government response.
• Identify a focal point of each of the agencies, including service providers responsible for the management of the deceased and their families and clarify roles and responsibilities based on the different phases of the MotD such as recovery and transportation of the deceased, post-mortem examinations if required, identification of the deceased, storage and disposal, burial and handover to families, death registration, attention and information to families.
• Establish a coordination group with a multiagency approach. It is important to include hospital administrators, religious authorities, municipal services, cemeteries and crematoriums for a truly integrated response. While not involved in the process, the private sector are key resources and should be engaged recognizing there might be limitations as per local regulations.
• Ensure a proper response is in place to cover all those aspects of the management of the dead process, including consider the investigative needs of law enforcement agencies in cases that apply.
• Local authorities should also ensure that any participation by volunteers or private businesses follow the same procedures.
• A good understanding of the local capacities for MotD, mainly in relation to transportation, storage and body disposal is a baseline to determine further steps in the multiagency approach.
• Ensure there is sufficient capacity in terms of infrastructure, human resources, materials and self-protective equipment to respond to the increased number of deaths. If this is not available, the coordination group should resort on alternatives for the required support.
• Ensure management level or coordination staff at the different entities provide clear procedures and recommendations in relation to the handling of bodies to all those concerned.
• Additional health and safety issues that could arise from the MotD especially during the transportation of bodies, such as manual handling of bodies (large weight, several times), staff working in cold temperatures for prolonged periods of time, psychological impact, hazardous substances. Ensure support and adequate response to staff working under these conditions.
• Any activity undertaken in relation to the management of known or suspected COVID-19 fatalities must be preceded by a preliminary evaluation and risk assessment. The evaluation should include determination of the number, location and condition -including COVID-19 status-of the human remains.