After an unprecedented peak of funerals in the region, it is now relatively quiet again. That’s what Edzo Doeve, Chairman of the Board of the Eindhoven funeral company DELA, says.
A few weeks ago there was a huge peak of deaths and the company was very busy. For the first time in DELA’s 83-year history there were funerals during Easter. That storm has now largely subsided. “It’s relatively calm again. It is still busier than what we are used to here in Brabant. But compared to two to three weeks ago it’s a lot calmer”, Doeve reacts.
Nationwide, DELA has seen a doubling of the number of funerals over the past period, from about 80 in normal times to 175. In the Brabant regions it even tripled. According to Doeve, it was a hectic time for his organisation, but his company could handle it all. “We operate nationwide, and were able to provide back-up in Brabant, with employees from other parts of the country. We also have staff who accurately keep track of the RIVM’s predictions. So we were able to prepare ourselves”.
Next of kin
According to DELA, which accounts for one third of all funerals in the Netherlands, these are unprecedented times. Heavy times too, for the next of kin of the deceased. After all, surviving relatives have sometimes been unable to say goodbye to their loved ones. Funerals are also shorter, more sober and can be attended by a maximum of thirty people. Doeve: “You can’t always fulfill the wishes you would like to fulfill. Personal contact is much less now. But we have each other. We have regular contact, and through a number of helplines people can tell their story. The risk that people fall into a black hole is present, but we’re on top of it. The best cure is to talk about it with each other.”
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by: Bob
