BEIJING/HONG KONG, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Some residents in Beijing face waiting days to cremate relatives or paying steep fees to secure timely services, funeral home workers said, indicating a growing death toll as the Chinese capital battles a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. Workers at two different funeral parlours in Beijing told Reuters over the weekend there has been a surge in residents looking to cremate deceased relatives, leading to queues and delays. Security guards were deployed this week at the entrance of a designated COVID crematorium in Beijing where Reuters reporters on Saturday saw a long line of…