Funerals and Visitations

• Your local and/or state public health officials may be making recommendations for the care of decedents and/or public gatherings that are more stringent than what the CDC and federal government have recommended. In these cases, you should defer to your state and/or local public health officials.
• The CDC has advised if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and/or develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. If you are concerned about a potential exposure, this risk assessment for healthcare personnel (HCP) from the CDC may be useful.

Reference the CDC guidance updated March 7, 2021.

Additionally, many states and local officials are placing restrictions on public gatherings. If your city or state has issued rules about mass gatherings that are more stringent than what federal officials recommend, these restrictions take precedence.

In light of guidance being issued that restricts and/or bans mass gatherings, alternatives you can offer to families include: 

• Record the service on video, which could be shared with whomever the family deems appropriate.
• If the immediate family holds a service now, plan a memorial gathering when restrictions are lifted
• Postpone the service until restrictions are lifted
• If the family selects immediate disposition, hold a memorial event when restrictions are lifted

The options you are able to offer will depend on your funeral home’s capabilities and may go beyond these suggestions. 

A note about webcasting: The initial information NFDA had about the funeral home webcasting license it offers covering ASCAP, BMI and SESAC seemed to indicate that live-streaming funeral services containing copyrighted music was only permitted through the websites of the funeral homes holding a webcasting license.

However, on March 18, 2020 NFDA was able to confirm that NFDA webcasting license does allow performance of ASCAP, BMI and SESAC copyrighted music on Facebook and YouTube as would occur during funeral services.

If you do not currently have a NFDA funeral webcasting license, click here for more information and to purchase one. 

Please note: In some cases, Facebook or YouTube may take videos down or stop a live stream because they are unaware the funeral home has the appropriate webcasting license and is permitted to stream funeral services with copyrighted music.

NFDA offers sample legal forms that give authorization for funeral homes to webcast funeral services and direction to record funeral services.

Consider putting hand sanitizer next to the register book with a sign encouraging its use before signing. The sign could say something like:

We kindly request you be mindful of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation and the health and safety of everyone here today. Please use the hand sanitizer provided before signing the register book.

Alternatively, you might also:  

• Suggest the family designate one individual to stand at the register book to record the names of individuals as they come in.
• Urge people to sign the guest book online using a mobile device; consider creating a QR code to take guests directly to the guest book (free online QR code generators - like this one - are readily available online)   

At this time, CDC guidance states, “There is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19.” However, the CDC also notes, “People should consider not touching the body of someone who has died of COVID-19.” Therefore, you can make this recommendation to the families you serve.

As with any gathering or event, you should check with local health officials to determine whether there are any prohibitions on holding public events, such as a visitation or funeral. Some states or cities have begun restricting public gatherings; these restrictions take precedence.

As an extra layer of precaution for those you serve, as well as you and your staff, you may want to consider:

• Reminding families how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as by staying home if you are sick or at high risk for contracting COVID-19, social distancing, washing your hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.
• The CDC has great informational flyers about healthy habits, such as “How to Stop The Spread of Germs,” you can post in your funeral home.
• Keep soap dispensers filled in public restrooms. The CDC has several informational flyers on handwashing you can post in public and staff restrooms.
• Offer alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to guests.
• Have extra tissues on hand.

As a business open to the public, it’s important that you and your staff be vigilant about cleaning, especially after services or arrangement conferences. The CDC offers guidance for businesses – including recommendations on cleaning products – on cleaning facilities open to the public.

Some funeral homes are taking additional measures such as:

• Staff are scaling back direct contact with families and guests (e.g., handshakes, hugs, etc.) 
• Keeping the front door open (weather permitting) or ensuring a staff person is always available to open a door during visitations and services to prevent people from touching the doorknob
• Offering free or reduced cost webcasting

You know your business operations best and, with your staff, can develop a plan to action to help families commemorate the life of their loved ones in a safe manner.

At this time, CDC guidance states, “There is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19.” Therefore, there should not be any need to limit the number of attendees. The only exception would be federal, state and local restrictions on public gatherings.

As a business open to the public, it’s important that you and your staff be vigilant about cleaning on a daily basis and especially after services or arrangement conferences. The CDC offers guidance for businesses – including recommendations on cleaning products – on cleaning facilities open to the public.

Yes. NFDA is working to develop materials that may be useful to you. These items will be posted on our COVID-19 information page, www.nfda.org/covid19 in the “Communicating With The Public” section.

Additionally, the CDC has great informational flyers about healthy habits, such as “How to Stop The Spread of Germs,” you can post in your funeral home.

You can also use CDC information, like that can be found on the “Steps to Prevent Illness” page, to create your own flyers/signs. 

Green funerals are not unlike orthodox Jewish funerals in that the body is not embalmed and it is buried in a plain wood casket.

At this time, CDC guidance states, “There is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19.” Therefore, there should not be any need to limit the number of attendees at a green funeral service; the only exception would be those cities and states that have implemented restrictions on public gatherings.

At this time, the CDC states that decedents with COVID-19 may be buried or cremated according to the family’s preferences. However, you should “check for any additional state and local requirements that may dictate the handling and disposition of the remains of individuals who have died of certain infectious diseases.”