OVERWHELMED

NYC to Store Bodies of Coronavirus Victims in Freezer Trucks: Report

The city will freeze the bodies to ensure preservation because hospitals and morgues are increasingly overwhelmed by the virus body count.

New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., will begin transferring bodies to electric-powered freezer trucks for preservation as hospitals and morgues are increasingly overwhelmed by the coronavirus death toll, New York Daily News reported Tuesday. Coronavirus victims will still reportedly be buried on Hart Island if they are not identified or collected by family members roughly two weeks after their death. Some bodies will be frozen temporarily to ensure that they do not decompose before they are claimed and subsequently buried, according to the Daily News. The freezer trucks will also free up room for more bodies to be stored in refrigerated morgues and mortuaries. “Our hearts break for families across our city as they make difficult decisions on how best to honor their loved ones,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio’s spokeswoman Avery Cohen. “During these painful times, we want to ensure that families can lay their loved ones to rest when they are ready, knowing that we will keep them safe until the time is right.”