In recent weeks, coinciding with the state of alarm, citizen complaints to the Barcelona Trustee Maria Assumpció Vilà have increased for the city's funeral services, precisely at a time when deaths in the city have skyrocketed due to the crisis of the coronavirus. Among these complaints, many people regretted that they had to pay double the cemetery fee in order to bury their dead. And it is that at the end of last January, before the health emergency arrived in Barcelona but shortly before the first cases were known, the City Council plenary session approved the increase in the cemetery rate by 100%.

Thus, until a few months ago, the annual cost without VAT of each niche was 13.90 euros, an amount that during this 2020 has increased to 27.80 euros. In the case of graves with more than one compartment, the cost increases from 29.36 to 58.72 euros. The Receiver recalled that this increase was approved in the municipal plenary "before this health crisis broke out in our city. We must also add that its approval followed the established protocol and that the citizenry had a period of time to file appeals. He also explained that due to the growth of deaths in the city and the requests for cremation, the City Council has reinforced the burial system and offers the option of making provisional burials and proceeding to cremation after two years, without any additional cost.

The Barcelona City Council also set the maximum price for basic funeral services in the city, which may not exceed 2,500 euros. The price is established at 1,948.10 euros for funeral services and 540 euros if you choose a burial, or 550 euros in the case of cremations. The option of accessing subsidized or free services is also maintained in the case of families in situations of vulnerability or low income.

On the other hand, the Sindicatura de Greuges de Barcelona has requested information from the Councilor for Climate Emergency and the president of Cemeteries of Barcelona, ​​Eloi Badia, detailed information on the internal protocols that are being carried out in relation to cemeteries and funeral service operators. It does so after receiving numerous complaints that the accompaniment of family members at a funeral or crematorium was not allowed when the Generalitat and the Government established several regulations so that a maximum of three could attend, always respecting the safety distance.

Given these complaints to the Funeral Services of Barcelona and Cemeteries of Barcelona. Maria Assumpció Vilà recalled that it is one of the services most affected by the Covid-19 crisis and that it may collapse due to the high number of deaths. That is why he details that he will ask the Consistory about the actions he takes to apply the specific regulations in the health crisis and details that the Barcelona City Council, on its website, reports that it restricts the presence of relatives to the crematorium to avoid an increased risk of contagion. , since it is a closed space.

The Catalan Ombudsman also asked the Health Department to ensure that people with terminal Covid-19 who are admitted to the ICU can have the company of a relative.

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  • Barcelona
  • Catalonia
  • Covid 19
  • Ada Colau

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