Temporary morgue to be built in Lancashire

This message is being sent on behalf of the Lancashire Resilience Forum:

Dear Citizen

A facility to cope with a significant increase in bereavements is being built in Lancashire as a contingency measure as part of the emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The temporary morgue will ensure that the county can respond to the emergency whilst ensuring the deceased continue to be treated with dignity and respect before they are laid to rest.

It will be built at BAE Systems at Warton with capacity to house 1,000 deceased to prepare for a potential increase in demand from the Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool areas.

Lancashire County Council is leading on the construction of the facility, which is due to be built in around eight days, ready to be available later this month.

We hope this facility will never need to be used, but it’s vital that we’re prepared in order to ensure the deceased are treated decently and with respect.

We are very grateful for the support we have received from BAE Systems, who have provided this site and access to utilities free of charge to support the people of Lancashire and help us to deal with this crisis.

We know this is a sensitive topic but we need to make sure you are informed of our preparations. The best way to reduce the numbers of deaths in Lancashire is for everyone to follow the government’s instruction to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Thank you for your ongoing support, we will continue to send you updates.