Coronavirus: Spain's funeral homes strike as cases rise

 

 
Staff at funeral homes in Spain have gone on strike to demand more workers as coronavirus deaths continue to rise. Unions say more staff are needed to prevent the delay in burials that was seen during the first wave of the pandemic in March. Europe is grappling with a second wave as cases and deaths continue to rise.
A number of countries have introduced new measures such as curfews and lockdowns to try and bring infection rates down.
On Saturday, Austria and Portugal became the latest countries to announce new restrictions.

Workers at funeral homes across Spain took part in a strike on Sunday. The strike came on All Saints Day, when families usually visit the graves of loved ones.
One funeral home in Madrid told AFP news agency that it needed between 15-20 more staff to handle the surge in deaths. On Friday, 239 deaths were confirmed in the country by the health ministry.
In March, burials had a delay of about a week and cremations took place in cities hundreds of miles away, as funeral homes struggled with the demand.
Spain has recorded more than 1.1 million cases and 35,800 deaths since the outbreak began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.