Health authorities said on Friday that they are revising guidelines on funeral procedures for those who died of COVID-19 so a funeral can be held for them before their cremation. 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said in a media briefing on Friday that guidelines are under revisions to guarantee the dignity of the deceased and the rights of their bereaved families to mourn their loss. 

It added these new rules aims to further enhance safety than existing ones. 

Under current guidelines announced in February, people who died of the pandemic were cremated before their funeral to prevent the possible further spread of the virus via contact with the deceased’s body. 

However, there have been constant protests from bereaved families about the lack of time to properly mourn the death of their loved ones and to bid farewell to their remains.