Coronavirus: Close family to be allowed to say goodbye to the dying

Close family members will be able to see dying relatives to say goodbye under new coronavirus guidelines, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

He said the UK would introduce new steps to "limit the risk of infection" and allow goodbyes "wherever possible".

Many loved ones have been unable to say goodbye to family and friends since stringent restrictions were introduced on life in the UK on 23 March.

Mr Hancock highlighted the death of Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, 13, from Brixton, south London. Ismail died alone in hospital last month and his close family were then unable to attend his funeral because they were self-isolating.

Speaking at Wednesday's briefing, Mr Hancock said the reports made him "weep". "Wanting to be with someone at the end of their life is one of the deepest human instincts," he said.

New government guidelines for social care providers, published shortly after the briefing, say that care homes should still "limit unnecessary visits" but advises that "visits at the end of life... should continue"

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Source: BBC News, 16 April 2020