The Kerala government on Wednesday revised the guidelines for management of bodies of COVID-19 victims in view of decline in related cases in the state.

Mandatory COVID test, which used to be done before postmortem, is exempted as per the revised guidelines, Health Minister Veena George said.

A rapid antigen test is sufficient if there is a strong clinical suspicion of the viral infection in any case of death, she said in a statement.

All health workers should adopt standard safety precautions including the wearing of PPE kit, mask, gloves and face shield during the post-mortem procedure.

In case of death at home, health workers in the area should be informed and instructions should be followed, the statement added.