New York digs mass graves amid surge in COVID-19 cases

The US state of New York is digging mass graves as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take lives in the country.

An average of 24 bodies are buried at New York City's Hart Island everyday.

For 150 years, the unclaimed dead have been buried in Hart Island along with those whose families are too poor to afford private burials.

Aerial images taken by the Associated Press Thursday showed workers digging graves on the island.

New York schools to remain closed until September: mayor

Public schools in New York, the US city hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, will remain closed until September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Saturday.

“The last couple of weeks have been totally out of control,” Matthew Pinto, director of the Provenzano Lanza funeral home in Manhattan, told the New York Post. “On a normal day, our funeral home will do between one and two calls. Now we’re doing eight or nine. Honestly, we’re not equipped for it.”

Funeral homes and hospital mortuaries have been overwhelmed by the number of deaths.

Joe Neufeld, director of the Gerard J Neufeld funeral home in Queens said he went from holding about 14 funerals a week to more than 50.

'NYC officials start preparing parks to bury victims'

A political commentator says New York City’s parks will sooner or later turn into grave yards of the corona victims.

“We had no choice,” he said. “I’ve had families call me telling me they can’t find anyone to take their loved one.”

“I have 25 remains in my back room and most of them are covid cases,” Neufeld said. “I couldn’t bring people in because it could be dangerous. I just don’t know.”

According to John Hopkins, 5,150 people had died in hospital in New York City after contracting coronavirus as of Friday.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir