Coronavirus crisis: Child body bags sent into remote indigenous communities in preparation for possible COVID-19 deaths

Body bags — including those for children — have been sent into remote indigenous communities to prepare for the worst-case pandemic scenarios. And morgues in remote Kimberley locations have been cleared out, with bodies sent to Broome, in the event coronavirus hits our First Nations people. Strict new measures preventing travel into indigenous communities came into force from last night but State and Federal governments still fear the worst. Hygiene and self-isolation messages about coronavirus are being translated into indigenous languages to best prepare populations to prevent widespread outbreaks. The West Australian can reveal some communities have even had body bags sent in and been told the army would provide assistance should COVID-19 continue its deadly spread in Australia. In one Northern Territory community 10 children’s body bags were the first to arrive this month. Remote communities in the Kimberley community have also started making plans to move bodies in their morgues to Broome to free up space. Minister for Indigenous Australians and West Australian Ken Wyatt yesterday confirmed contingency plans had been put in place in the event of deaths. “We are looking at the issue of funerals and what that means and the level of contact particularly given cultural obligations,” Mr Wyatt said. “We’re also looking at the availability of morgues. We’re into that degree of detail because it is absolutely important.” Mr Wyatt, 67, a Noongar man who skipped Parliament this week due in part to his age, said teleconferences were being held daily between governments and indigenous experts worried about the devastation on First Nations people from COVID-19. From 11.59pm yesterday no travellers were allowed into indigenous communities unless they were there for essential business. Anyone who returned to a community outside of essential business would need to isolate for 14 days. Mr Wyatt said everything was also being done to secure supply chains of food to indigenous communities.