Coronavirus New Jersey: Funerals Have To Be Closed Casket, No More Than 10 People In Attendance During Pandemic
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- The coronavirus pandemic has not only shaken up our everyday lives but has also changed traditions and the grieving process. Funeral homes are the ones having to bear the burden to break the news to families about some big changes.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is encouraging funeral homes to celebrate lives differently. But it's leaving funeral directors with the task of telling families they still won't be able to see their loved ones, even in their casket.
"The open vs. closed casket, we are close to having a revision, an amendment out with regard to that directive," New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan said.
In an effort to limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure last week, Murphy encouraged funeral homes to make some changes in how they're conducting funerals.
"Funerals have to be closed casket and funerals are no more than 10 people in attendance. I think it's really hard when the family comes to the funeral home to make arrangements or contacts us to make arrangements for their loved one and we have to be the persons to tell them, this is what the state is directing us to tell you at this point," Greenidge Funeral Home manager Joseph Greenidge said.
Greenidge says they are burying and cremating bodies within a day or two, leaving a short turnaround for cemeteries.
"We are encouraged -- not directed -- not to do any embalming. So embalming generally would take away the risk for people to be exposed of any diseases that the deceased might have," Greenidge said.
Greenidge believes it may be to protect the embalmers from contracting the coronavirus.
He also says he's started to receive calls from North Jersey residents, requesting to make arrangements because North Jersey funeral homes are full.
"As this kind of cascades south, you will see a greater stress in South Jersey funeral homes," Callahan said.
Murphy says this way of burying loved ones won't be this way forever, but it's unclear just when things will change.
Since the amount of deaths has increased significantly, people have been waiting longer for death certificates.
