Maitland Crematorium's second cremator, which has been out of service since April for maintenance, is back in operation.
This after the cremator received the necessary authorisation from the Air Quality Control authorities and passed the required stack tests which measure air quality emissions.
The City said it owns one crematorium, the Maitland Crematorium, which is now fully operational and has been granted permission to operate 24 hours, seven days a week to assist in this period of high demand.
“We are aware of the backlogs and have worked hard to ensure the second cremator came online again as soon as possible. We are working on expanding our cremator capacity in the future. We will communicate these details once finalised,” said Mayco member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross.
With both of the City’s cremators fully functional, the cremation capacity has returned to normal.
“It is anticipated that the increase in cremations on a daily basis will start having a positive impact and ease the backlog which was starting to build up, as well as alleviate the pressure on the overall system.
“It is important to note that while the City has it at full capacity, there is still work to be done to catch up and the City will optimise all options to ensure the backlogs are reduced as speedily as possible.
“The City acknowledges the pressure and impact undertakers are currently experiencing and how important it is for families to finalise final resting arrangements for loved ones,” the City said.
Cape Times