Families forgo large funerals as coronavirus spreads in Arizona

A funeral service is the final ritual of a person's life. A time to mourn and celebrate memories, a time to show support for the person's family.

But in recent days, obituaries have increasingly ended with these words: "A celebration of life will be held at a later day."

Traditional funeral rituals have been upended across the United States as cases of the new coronavirus spread rapidly and public officials discourage, and in some states prohibit, large gatherings.

Funerals are being limited to 50 or 10 people or no gatherings at all, depending on the state. Some cemeteries are restricting the numbers who gather for graveside services. The restrictions can change by the day as more states issue shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders.

"It is unprecedented," said Dutch Nie, a spokesman for the National Funeral Directors Association, who owns two funeral homes in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where services are being limited to fewer than 50 people.

In Washington state, funerals have been prohibited altogether — deemed a nonessential service during the coronavirus pandemic.

Arizona doesn't have a mandate on funeral size, but many funeral homes are restricting services to 10 or fewer people, said Judith Stapley, executive director of the Arizona State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, which regulates the funeral service industry.

Some families are holding private services and burials. Others are delaying public memorial services until summer, when they hope restrictions will be lifted. Many funeral homes are also offering webcasting of funeral service so people can watch from their homes.

Families: 'We'll do it later'

Messinger Mortuaries, with four funeral homes in the Valley, is limiting funeral services to 10 people and no longer holding receptions in the buildings afterward.

"Most people are very amiable, agreeable to this," said Jim Ahearne, Messinger's chief operating officer and a longtime member of the state funeral board.

Many funeral attendees tend to be older, he said, and they are aware they are at greater risk of developing compilations if they come down with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus,

Ahearne said the funeral landscape began changing dramatically on March 15, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended people cancel or postpone gatherings of 50 people or more until May 10. The following day the White House released its "15 Days to Slow the Spread," advising people to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people through the end of March.

After those announcements, "we had three families who called and said, 'We're just cancelling everything and we'll do it later,'" Ahearne said.

Cemeteries are also implementing restrictions on burial services. On Monday, military funeral honors were discontinued at Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemeteries, including the 225-acre National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Cave Creek. Interment of remains is limited to 10 family members.

Earlier this month, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix parishes and cemeteries began limiting chapel and graveside services to 10 people. Staff at its six cemeteries and two funeral homes also are doing arrangements over the phone or online, when possible, said Rob DeFrancesco, a spokesman for the Diocese of Phoenix.

With the limitations, "some families have had to make adjustments to their traditions and preferences," he said.

Guidelines if you attend a funeral

Those who attend funerals over the next few weeks will notice other changes, beyond fewer people at the service.

At Sunland Memorial Park, Mortuary and Cremation Center in Sun City, doors are left open so visitors don't have to touch door handles. Cleaning has been stepped up. Staff disinfect light switches, counter tops and telephones. Restrooms are cleaned and sanitized several times a day.

General manager Dan Salter said staff are signing the register book for visitors so they don't all handle the same pen. For families who are expecting larger visitations, 10 are being allowed in at a time, though staff are using common sense. If 11 people show up, they aren't going to tell one person to leave, he said.

Families "are very agreeable" to the restrictions, he said. "They understand."

Is it safe to attend a funeral?

About 58,000 people die in Arizona each year.

With the spread of the coronavirus, funeral directors are advising people who attend funerals not to hug or shake hands. Most importantly, people who are sick should stay home and skip the funeral altogether.

As of Friday, Arizona had 13 known deaths of COVID-19.

CDC Capt. Jill Shugart told funeral directors in a webinar earlier this month that there is no known risk of being in the same room with someone who has died of COVID-19.

It's a new disease, and health officials are still learning how it spreads. The virus is thought to spread mainly through respiratory droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

"This type of spread is not a concern after death," she said.

Even so, at the funeral, "people should consider not touching the body of someone who has died of COVID-19," she said.

It's possible funeral services could become further restricted if Arizona were to issue a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order. But if that happens the funeral profession — which is considered an essential service under Gov. Doug Ducey's executive order — would continue.

"We’re doing the best to stay on top of it," said Jakki Moss, manager of Messinger Indian School Mortuary in Scottsdale. "We understand the need to still serve our families, and families need to still celebrate their loved ones."

Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman.

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