Coronavirus: Deaths prompt new mortuary in Kent

Work on the new facility in Aylesford will begin on Monday

A new mortuary is to be built in Kent in anticipation of an increase in the number of deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Work on the building in Aylesford will begin on Monday, Kent County Council said.

A spokesman for the council said the facility would only be used if existing mortuary capacity around the county becomes full.

It is expected it will take two weeks to build the facility.

The council described the building in Beddow Way as a marquee with a floor space of 1,000 sq m and the site will be operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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No post-mortem examinations will be taking place at the site.

"As with every emergency planning team in the country, the Excess Deaths Management Group has to plan for the worst-case scenario and be prepared to implement any necessary contingency plans," a council spokesman said.

"The priority of the group will be to maintain, at all times, dignity and respect for those who have lost their lives and consideration for the bereaved."

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