Losing a loved one can be very traumatising and in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the grieving process can be much more difficult for bereaved families.

This is because under normal circumstances people tend to rely on each other for support in times like these by coming together to offer comfort to each other.

Unfortunately, coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on many of these norms.

In the heart of Accra, is Osu; one of the suburbs. The body of a 63-year-old woman is laid in state at the family house of Cornelius Adumuah We.

Clad in red and black clothes, mourners file past the body of Rosemond Maku Dowuona to pay their last respect. Tears stream down the faces of some family members and well-wishers as they view the lifeless body.

Conscious of the fast-spreading coronavirus, hugs and handshakes are absent here but dirges are not. Not even the virus and the nose masks worn would prevent family members and well-wishers from expressing their grief and sorrow through singing.

In accordance with the President’s directive on mass gatherings, the family of Rosemond explains they had to strictly abide by it.

“It was decided at the pre-burial meeting on 28^th April to abide by the President’s directive. We are all aware of the fast-spreading coronavirus and the implications of mass gatherings so we had to make the difficult decision of sending some people away’’, a family elder, Jonathan Nortei Dowuona said in an interview with JoyNews.

According to Ga customs and traditions, Kotsagbamo is very significant. This rite is performed before the corpse is bathed.

Chewing sponge, some clothes of the deceased and cloths, soap, towel and other sanitary items are used to perform the Kotsagbamo rite. Before the outbreak of Coronavirus in Ghana, this ceremony was characterised by the extravagant display of wealth amid loud music and celebration but this time around, the rite was performed devoid of all that.

According to Numo Blafo III, Ga Blafo Wulomo of Asere, “currently it is done in a way as if people are going into marriage or something but during this period, you will find about two or three people carrying these things to where the rite would be performed. The few people who will bath the corpse are the ones who will only go to the mortuary. Before you will see a busload of sympathisers going to bring the corpse home. All those things have been curtailed’’.

He, therefore, believes the outbreak of the virus and the ban on mass gatherings will help project the true culture of the Ga people.

“It got to a point where during the funeral that is when you see people cooking at the grounds of the funeral, which wasn’t done before and even serving of food. This wasn’t done before. Today it even becomes more like a party. The pandemic I’ll say has taken us to where we were before. To me, if we can maintain or sustain it, then more of the culture would be seen’’, he remarked on the trend of Ga funerals.

The Dowuona family is not the only one to bury their deceased relative during this period.

At Transitions Funeral Home in Haatso, the family of the late Stephen Abbey is holding a private burial and funeral service for their loved one in the chapel. During the service, all the social distancing protocols are observed to the letter.

The chapel where the service is being held would normally accommodate over 400 people before the outbreak of Coronavirus, but this time around, the story is different.

Only about 20 mourners are allowed in the chapel to pay their last respect to the deceased. The rest according to the Sales and Marketing Manager are allowed to participate in the service via other means of technology.

“We have live streaming available. We give the family a link so they can share with all the other family members so they are able to view the service in the comfort of their homes’’, said Grace Ofosu-Donkor, Sales and Marketing Manager of Transitions.

She explains this and other initiatives adopted by the organisation would motivate other bereaved families to bury their loved ones during this period instead of waiting for a possible lifting of the ban on mass gatherings by the President.

With a few days to the expiration of the ban on mass gatherings and other restrictions, many bereaved families still believe they have an obligation to organise what they consider a befitting farewell ceremony in the form of large and extravagant funerals so they are keenly waiting for the President to make that ‘big announcement’’ on May 31.

But perhaps, it’s time Ghanaians have a renewal of mindset about the lavish spending on the dead and rather concentrate on the living as suggested by many.