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@itvnews learns of a TEN fold daily rise in burials from one Muslim cemetery. Others tell us worse is yet to come. From the frontline of a community in fear of #covid19 as it’s been hit so hard, here’s our report I produced with @johnrayitv @benenglanditv: https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-15/covid-funeral-director-warns-worst-is-yet-to-come-as-daily-burials-up-tenfold-in-one-muslim-cemetery
Thank you to our brave contributors, who spoke to @johnrayitv & I on & off camera @itvnews for this report. From the bereaved families to the frontline funeral directors, cemeteries & Imams, who wanted to share their stories even whilst grieving or busy, & gave us crucial access.
@itvnews were invited to Mahir Rahman’s grandmother’s funeral He told us in tears that finding out that his whole family had Covid & his father had been hospitalised with it, changed his life. As it was the ‘biggest eye opener’ to ‘understand how much of a risk we are all at’.
Issa Azam, a funeral director whose phone barely stops ringing from the rise in demand, told @itvnews: ‘This is only the beginning of the battle; the war hasn’t started yet’. He told us of colleagues he had lost to #COVIDー19 too. No surprise he said as they are on the frontline.
Hasina Zaman, a Funeral Director in East London invited @itvnews to her storeroom & her rapidly depleting coffin store. She told us her stock which would take well over two months to run out normally, will now run out in just two weeks & says ‘We are the in the eye of the storm’.
All these pressures combined mean some families are facing a longer wait to bury their loved ones, when the Islamic recommendation is to bury them asap. Imam Joynal Ahmed told us: ‘We tend to mourn after the burial, so when we haven’t been able to, it means... a lot of stress’.
@ONS’s report found British Muslims to be one of the hardest-hit communities from Covid-19. @itvnews first reported on this last April with a visit to an overwhelmed cemetery as @ragehomaar & I investigated WHY the disproportionate impact on minorities: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-17/coronavirus-ethnic-minorities-government-review)
Since then @itvnews has produced further reports looking at the increased risk in Black, Asian & ethnic minority communities, including this investigation I produced with @emilymorganitv @alexcherrieITV @imogenbarrer @freddimbleby thanks to the incredible response of NHS workers: https://twitter.com/itvnews/status/1260609808463532033
