The Aguilares cemetery is the only one in southern Tucumán that has a specific space for deceased victims of Covid-19. It is a large piece of land that was next to the necropolis and that, at the initiative of the municipality, was expropriated through a project approved by the Legislature.
A hundred families are isolated by covid in Aguilares
“At first some considered that it was an exaggerated space. However, now we see that the decision was not so bad, despite the fact that there are still lots of land left over, ”explained the employee. Heraldo Diaz.
Since the pandemic began until now, some 113 deceased victims of the virus lie in the special sector. Some are from neighboring communes. In normal times per week about three deceased entered the cemetery. Sometimes he did not even record any burial.
In the past month, as noted, there were weeks with up to 10 deaths per day. “There were very sad days with endless parades of courtship with remains of people known, dear, who ended up victims of the virus,” he said. Luis Romero, local journalist.
The Covid site is separate from the rest and can only be accessed by one relative of the deceased at a time. “The graves are individual and the municipality is in charge of placing a marble plaque on each one. It is something that arose from the COE and we adjust to that provision. There is a protocol both for the personnel who work in that area and for other people who have to enter there, ”said the mayor. Elia Fernandez.
“Apparently this cemetery is the only one in the south with a special sector for the deceased who died of Covid. It is that doing it generates discomfort. There were frictions with the relatives of the victims who wanted their remains to be buried together with others from the family group. But you have to respect the protocol ”, added the official.
The Aguilares cemetery also bears witness to the aftermath of another health crisis, such as the cholera epidemic of 1886/87 that left almost 2,000 deaths in the province. There is a special sector with tombs in which the remains of the victims of this disease rest.
