King's Lynn funeral directors 'dealing with two coronavirus-related deaths'

A funeral service business based in Lynn has said they are currently dealing with two coronavirus-related deaths.

Andrew Thornalley, company director at Thornalley Funeral Services, confirmed that they were preparing the funerals for two people who had previously tested positive for Covid-19.

But this is yet to be confirmed by medical officials, with there not currently being any news of coronavirus-related deaths at Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The hospital did however confirm on Tuesday that it was caring for five patients with the virus.

Mr Thornalley said he expected that they would be dealing with more people who had died after testing positive for Covid-19 over the coming days.

On Facebook, his business confirmed that it was taking "every precaution" to keep bereaved families and staff as safe as possible.

A post on the Thornalley Funeral Services page from yesterday said: "We are currently living in uncertain times regarding Covid-19, which is a concern for us all with things changing daily, much of which is out of our control.

"As a family, we wanted to reassure you that whilst we are striving to provide and maintain a high level of service, we are taking every precaution we can to ensure we are keeping bereaved families and our staff as safe as possible."

It adds that Government guidelines will have an impact on funerals already arranged and those yet to be planned.

In the meantime, the Thornalley funeral homes remain open, with the team on call 24/7, and all Covid-19 related funerals will be arranged over the phone.

Non Covid-19 related funerals can also be arranged via phone if preferred.

They said Thornalley Funeral Services will not limit the number of mourners attending funerals, but will instead leave mourners to decide for themselves if they want to attend – although some churches have closed and others have placed restrictions on the number of mourners able to attend funerals.

They are also following "strict hygiene practices" within their premises and vehicles, and continuing to follow industry and Government advice closely to ensure the "safety and health of families and staff remains a priority".

They said Mintlyn and Breckland crematoriums are also providing a free webcast of funeral services so they can be watched from home, if self-isolating or unwell – login details can be obtained from next of kin, but the next of kin has to request this service.

"Please be assured that our commitment to caring for bereaved families and their loved ones will remain paramount throughout this period of uncertainty," the post adds.

"We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this very worrying time. Take care and keep safe."