Covid 19 coronavirus: Under review - Jacinda Ardern responds to funeral criticism as calls mount for Government to allow more than 10 people to attend

A family who lost a young mum to cancer say the 10 person only rule at funerals means they will not have enough able men to carry her coffin.

The family, who asked to stay anonymous, said they were hoping for a change in the rule by Friday as it would otherwise mean those closest to the young woman who died would have to stay home.

They may get their wish.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just told the nation she she's instigated calls between church leaders, funeral directors and iwi leaders to see if they could find a way to address legitimate health concerns while recognising funerals and tangi were life events which couldn't be postponed.

They were "well on their way" to finding a solution and the Health Minister would have more information on that this afternoon, the PM said.

The Government was still working through the details.

She said they had always been agile and acknowledged the difficult times Kiwis were going through. She said "there will still be restrictions".

She said there'd been other areas in their response that had been changed after consultation "and I don't shy away from that".

She accepted there'd been consequences of the restrictions - she's had friends who'd had funeral and tangi during lockdown and alert level 3.

Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the consistency around the public health advice was around group size and the purpose of the gathering, especially where there would be mixing and mingling.

The public health advice was focused on balancing health risks but had engaged and listened to the specific concerns about funerals and tangi.

Ardern accepted there'd been consequences of the restrictions - she's had friends who'd had funeral and tangi during lockdown and alert level 3.

But they were working through how they could take place safely.

Ardern said they were seeing whether there'd be "checks and balances", involving funeral directors and the Ministry of Health.

"But ultimately we've always said we'd want to work through issues where they arose."

New Zealand would have to exercise caution because "we're not out of the woods yet", Ardern said.

Calls have been mounting to lift the ban of no more than 10 people at a religious ceremony - including funerals or tangi, weddings and church services.

"The restriction of 10 means we cannot carry her coffin," a relative told the Herald about their request for the rules to change.

"Her immediate family are her husband and two small girls, then her mum and dad, two brothers and two aunties and the funeral director.

"We believe that this restriction takes away her family's right to carry her as there are not enough able men - without excluding those nearest to her."

The National Party has launched an online petition calling on Parliament to reject what it calls the Government's "discriminatory rules" of a 10-person limit at funerals, tangi, weddings and other religious services.

On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealand would transition into alert level 2 tomorrow, but that no changes to the number of people allowed at funerals and weddings - a limit of 10 - would be made.

The reason behind that was because of overseas cases where there had been a Covid-19 cluster outbreak after a mass gathering; including funerals.

In one case, in Canada, up to 25 people from the same family contracted the disease after attending a family funeral.

National's petition acknowledges the context that restaurants, shopping malls and movie theatres will all be allowed to have up to 100 people inside once the country moves to alert level 2.

"But to attend a place of worship or a funeral, there must be an upper limit of 10 people. This is unacceptable.

"There is no plausible reason why safety, distancing and contact-tracing measures cannot be put in place to ensure that public health is at the forefront while still allowing people to fully worship, mourn or celebrate important events."

The petition goes on to ask the Government for "some humanity, consistency and kindness" for the sake of accountability, wellbeing and dignity of our society.

The petition has been shared on the official Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand Facebook page.

Many in the funeral industry have been very vocal in their disappointment since Monday's Government announcement that the country would transition into alert level 2 tomorrow.

The change will mean many businesses and industries will be open again and would allow up to 100 people inside any given area, such as a shopping mall.

No changes, however, were announced for services including funerals and tangihanga - which have had a 10 person limit throughout alert level 3 also.

Michelle Pukepuke, who owns Haven Falls Funeral Services with husband Allen Pukepuke, said they were hugely disappointed for the families and the communities they served.

"Covid fatigue is setting in," she said.

"There have been no gains on tangihanga [funerals]. I understand it's a safety thing. But they've got this wrong."

Calls are mounting for the Government to relax Covid-19 rules to allow more than 10 people at a funeral during alert level 2. Photo / 123rf

Pukepuke said their branches - in Henderson, West Auckland, Wellington and Whāngārei - had all been very strict about adhering to the restrictions.

The company had cut down the number of staff on site at any given time and every visitor had their details taken down. Hand sanitisers were also placed at entry points.

'This is cruel and heartless'

"Our staff are much more capable to control people at a chapel than an usher in a movie theatre."

Pukepuke said they had a number of families who had chosen to keep loved ones who had died during lockdown at the funeral homes until restrictions lifted and therefore allow them to hold proper funerals.

"We were expecting that to happen in level 2. I had calls from some families - who we've had a close relationship with over the last few weeks - and a couple of them swore at me for the first time.

"It's not to me. They are frustrated."

Among those families who have been waiting to hold a proper funeral for their loved one is that of Dave Pīhama.

The 54-year-old died eight weeks ago, of heart failure, as the country went into lockdown.

His partner of 30 years, Ramari Amopiu, was in tears when she spoke to the Herald.

"We watched that announcement live and we were gutted, angry and emotional.

"They can have 100 people going to a bloody restaurant but not to a funeral? It's not fair. It hasn't been easy for us."

Funeral Directors Association still pushing for restrictions to be lifted

Following Monday's announcement, FDANZ president Gary Taylor labelled the decision "cruel and without compassion".

"This is a cruel and heartless blow to the thousands of New Zealand families who have lost loved ones and is unjustifiable.

"The families we serve deserve better than this," he said.

"How can it be in any way kind to allow multiple groups of up to 10 in a restaurant for a social meal, but no more than 10 in total to farewell a deceased mum, dad, aunty, grandparent or young child?"

He said they remained in close talks with the Ministry of Health and continued to push the need to relax rules around funerals in level 2.

The association called on the Government to reverse its decision and to show kindness and compassion to grieving Kiwis - while also trusting those in the industry to make sure that necessary protocols related to Covid-19 restrictions were enforced.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website