FEMA giving D.C. 6 trailers to hold bodies after surge in COVID-19 deaths
WASHINGTON (ABC7) — The D.C. Medical Examiners has trailers (pictured above) parked in front of the Forensics Lab for transporting multiple bodies.
They are transporting them to six larger trailers on loan from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
D.C. has confirmed that FEMA is loaning the city six, 53-foot trailers to hold bodies because there have been so many COVID-19 deaths in the city - 277 as of today.
ABC7 recently saw trailers for moving bodies parked outside the forensics lab. The city's Chief Medical Examiner tells us he had 253 COVID and non-COVID bodies at the lab.
DC has confirmed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency-FEMA-is loaning the city six 53-foot long trailers to hold the bodies of people who had died from the coronavirus. It seems DC is running out of space at the lab.
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"Families and funeral homes are doing a pretty good job of responding... 103 COVID positive have been claimed by loved ones so far," says Dr. Roger Mitchell.
On Monday Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Roger Mitchell said during a news conference that the city was storing 253 COVID and NON-COVID bodies and that so far. 104 families had claimed the remains of 104 people who were "COVID positive" when they died.
In addition, FEMA is providing D.C. with National Guard members and technicians to help with body handling and mortuary affairs, according to a DC government spokesperson.
