Anger as appeals for extra funeral guests rejected

QUEENSLAND Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has knocked back 26 applications to have more people at ­funerals.

The move has been criticised by the LNP, which claimed the State Government had no right to decide whether the value of someone's life was more important than another.

Since March 26, 171 requests for exemptions have been lodged with 145 being granted.

A Queensland Health spokesman told The Courier-Mail special approval could only be granted for attendees, including funeral home staff, under "extenuating circumstances'' including cultural reasons, the loss of a child, a death that was unexpected or a result of trauma.

Safety precautions must be in place including but not limited to adhering to the one person per 4sq m, maintaining 1.5m distance, ensuring all people who attend are well, using hand hygiene and keeping a register of names and contact details so that if there was a confirmed case the other mourners could be rapidly contacted.

It comes after Dr Young approved an exemption that allowed up to 80 people to attend a funeral in Mackay for an indigenous elder this month.

LNP health spokeswoman Ros Bates said the Palaszczuk Government needed to be more transparent about how exemptions were granted to grieving families trying to mourn the loss of a family member.

"The Government has no right to decide that the value of someone's life is more important than another,'' she said.

Originally published as Anger as appeals for extra funeral guests rejected