A TEMPORARY mortuary at Birmingham Airport has reopened to help ease pressures on the NHS.
The facility, which can store up to 1,500 bodies, opened in April but closed in September as deaths from coronavirus reduced.
But as hospital admissions have risen again, officials have decided to reopen the site to relieve storage at hospitals.
The need for the mortuary will be reviewed on a weekly basis.
Senior Coroner Louise Hunt said: “Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones at this difficult time.
“I want to stress that dignity and respect for the deceased and the bereaved continues to be our primary consideration.
“The reopening of the temporary mortuary will not impact on our ability to provide the right level of service to all families and we remain focussed on the humanitarian and faith needs of all those involved.”
The facility is a collaboration between the eight local authorities and three coroners which make up the West Midlands and Warwickshire region and operates with the support of Birmingham Airport, West Midlands Police and Warwickshire Police.
