Man who lost his wife two weeks ago barred from visiting grave
A Sydney man has faced further grief after being stopped from visiting his wife’s grave due to COVID-19 restrictions.
After Andy Gusmardy lost his wife two weeks ago, he has been visiting her grave everyday since as he mourns her death.
But, when he arrived at Rookwood Cemetery on Thursday, he was told the site was off-limits to everyone save staff and those attending funerals.
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“To be told, ‘sorry mate, Rookwood’s closed’ … where’s my process of grieving?” he told 7NEWS as he fought back tears.
“I’m just so frustrated, angry.
“How can you get over losing your loved one?”
In a statement, the cemetery admitted that some funerals have exceeded the 10-person attendance limit, prompting the decision to close the site to everyone except funeral attendees and staff “in accordance with advice from NSW police”.
“NSW Police have also advised that visiting the grave of a loved one in the cemetery is not considered a reasonable excuse to leave home,” Rookwood Cemetery said in the statement.
“Rookwood Cemetery operators are working closely with their Funeral Directors and key faith groups, such as the Lebanese Muslim Association, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Sydney Chevra Kadisha, to implement these new processes in a way that maintains safety and minimises impacts to internment services at Rookwood.”
Security guards are now stationed at the cemetery’s entrances and police are known to patrol the area.
“We appreciate the wider community’s continued assistance and support as we navigate this challenging time together,” cemetery administrator Lee Shearer said.
Though Gusmardy understands the need to restrict funeral attendees, he said it’s “crazy” for mourners to be turned away when visiting their loved ones.
“You’re going there, by yourself, to grieve,” he said.
The cemetery will review the current measures in four weeks.
Image: 7NEWS