COVID-19 Funeral Guidelines

With social distancing discouraging in-person gatherings of no more than 50 people, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), New York Attorney General Letitia James and the New York State Department of Health are issuing guidelines for funeral firms and families planning funerals during the current COVID-19 crisis.
CDC environmental health specialist Jill Shugart said, “If washing the body or shrouding are important religious or cultural practices, families are encouraged to work with their community cultural and religious leaders and funeral home staff on how to reduce their exposure as much as possible.”
James also cautioned the public. “While we all may want to celebrate our loved ones’ lives and memorialize them, at this time, we must continue to practice social distancing and limit large public gatherings, including at funeral services,” she said. “Our number one goal should be to limit the spread of this disease and stop more New Yorkers from getting sick. The department of health’s recommendations are common-sense measures that will help keep New Yorkers safe.”

Highlights from the New York State Department of Health guidelines include:

• All large gatherings should be avoided if possible. Otherwise, gatherings must be limited to no more than 50-percent of the maximum capacity of the funeral home or 50 individuals, whichever is lower.

• Though there is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room with the body of someone who died from COVID-19, people should consider not touching the body. Individuals in close contact with the decedent prior to their passing may themselves be infected with the virus and should not attend funeral services.

• Funeral home workers should follow their routine infection prevention and control precautions when handling a decedent who died of COVID-19. For transporting a body that has been bagged, workers should disinfect the outside of the bag with an EPA-approved product expected to be effective against COVID-19.