The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

VINCENT Cash made the difficult decision to postpone his wife’s funeral amid restrictions put in place by the government to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Prescola Cash, a 60-year-old wife and mother, was due to be buried on Saturday; the funeral has been rescheduled to mid-April, when her husband hopes the restrictions will be lifted. An emergency order issued by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis more than a week ago put limits on funerals amid the COVID crisis. Under the order, only ten members of the immediate family and at least one officiant and essential mortuary staff can attend a funeral.

“The situation has me very frustrated,” said Mr Cash. “We had no other choice but to postpone because they said only ten people can assemble for the funeral; you know I can’t let my wife go down like that. I don’t know what to say about that. So we just postponed.”

Mr Cash is upset that the COVID-19 crisis has affected his grieving process.

“My wife passed and I am grieving and I can’t get to bury her because of this thing,” he said. “Having a loved one pass is like an open wound and now (is time) for the healing part, but I can’t even do that because I cannot have the funeral. I have to postpone it.”

Mrs Cash died of pancreatic cancer. Bethel Brothers Morticians is handling her remains.

The COVID-19 restrictions are set to expire on March 31, however Attorney General Carl Bethel has said Parliament may authorise a 30-day extension to the emergency orders on the advice of medical experts.

Mr Cash has postponed his wife’s funeral to April 11. Asked what he will do if the restrictions remain in place at that time, he said it is up in the air.

“We have postponed the funeral until April 11 hoping that the curfew is not extended past March 31. As that date approaches, we will see what the government is saying about this curfew and we will take it from there with the funeral home. If they still have the curfew in place with the ten people only business, well we will have to see what to do because I cannot do that to my honey. Ten people only cannot come to that funeral.

“We made the decision to postpone because I want our family and friends to be there at the funeral. My wife was my queen and I cannot have only ten people come to her funeral. That cannot happen so we decided to postpone until April 11. She was well loved. Ten people only account for a couple of my brothers. That doesn’t even begin to count for her family. We are only hoping and praying that by April 11 this curfew will be done.”

Mr Cash became emotional while talking to The Tribune, emphasising how hard this whole ordeal has been for him and his family.

“I want you to believe this is taking a toll on me,” he said pausing to compose himself. “This is someone I love and I am not talking about no fake love either. I really loved her, so this is hard. “We were prepared for this week, Saturday, but now we have to wait and possibly have to change another date again. It’s a lot of frustration. I am going through a lot emotionally. My wife has passed and I cannot bury her. That’s a lot.”