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Funeral Options During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Updated on Jan 21, 2025 • 4 min read

Since the end of 2019, COVID-19 has affected many parts of our lives, including funerals. Due to social distancing guidelines, having a proper funeral with in-person viewing might not be possible. In this article we will discuss all your options when having a funeral with the presence of COVID-19 in 2022 and beyond.

If you’re interested in these or any of our other life insurance options, call us at (866) 786-0725 to learn more. Be sure to check our free online quoting tool for personalized pricing estimates.

Funeral Options During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Local funeral homes want your families to honor their loved ones in meaningful ways while keeping the safety of your family a priority. If you are finding it difficult to hold a funeral for your loved one, or if you have a limited number of attendees, there are other options we can explore.
 
Doctor helping patient with covid
1. Have a private viewing for only immediate family and/or close friends.
 
2.Have a private service with a public memorial at a later date.
 
3. Have a private viewing for only immediate family and/or close friends and then have a memorial at a later date.
 
4. Ask your funeral director if they are able to host the funeral online for others to watch.
 
If you are able to have a funeral, keep in mind that your funeral director has to follow specific local state guidelines for social distancing. These guidelines, while difficult, are in place to protect the health and safety of your loved ones.

CDC Guidelines For Funerals

The CDC guidelines for funerals laid out on the official CDC guidelines for funerals website immediately urge individuals to practice social distancing, or to host the funeral virtually during the covid-19 pandemic.

They recommend various ways to do so, such as through third-party applications such as zoom, or by utilizing methods like text and video messaging. They reiterate that there’s no reason to delay funeral services for covid-19, rather, a few modifications should be made.

The usual recommendations are suggested, such as keeping 6 feet between all participants, wearing your face protection, as well as not being at the ceremony if you feel sick.

They also note that you should avoid touching the body of someone recently deceased by covid-19, as it was not known at the time whether or not this made the disease transferable. An example may include California Covid rules for funerals, in that at one point they had a different set of rules regarding the covid-19 process.

Can I Go To A Funeral During The COVID-19 Pandemic?

Depending on your states guidelines, funeral attendance may be limited. You’ll want to check with your funeral director for any restrictions and guidelines that must be followed.
 
While an in-person service, where guests can freely mingle will always be preferred, during the pandemic, there are many options to incorporate virtual aspects into a service. It would be best to speak with the funeral director about options like live-streaming with Zoom or even recording for late use.
 
As we understand COVID-19 more, limitations and guidelines may be lifted. Your funeral director can also help you plan an in-person service at a later date when COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

The pandemic has caused many Americans to lose their jobs, making it difficult to even think about funeral expenses. There may be COVID funeral assistance programs to provide help with your loved ones service. At Final Expense Benefits we work with industry leading insurance carriers that can bring peace of mind to you and your family.
 
Senior couple with Covid meeting with doctor

These funeral advantage programs assists seniors with end-of-life costs so your families aren’t stuck with a financial burden. These programs can assists with expenses such as:

–Funeral services
–Cremation
-Casket or urn
-Burial plot
-Funeral ceremony
-Transportation
-Clergy

Burial life insurance something to think about, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs are specifically designed for seniors and have no waiting periods, and require no medical exam. Regardless of your pre-existing conditions, you can have a plan that starts the very next day and for as little as $1 per day.

Viewing By Vehicle Processional

Some funeral homes offer a viewing by vehicle processional. Guests stay in their cars and form a line through the funeral home’s parking lot. The casket is put in a spot where the guests can see the casket and pay their respects.

This is an option not all funeral homes may offer, but it’s worth asking about. This can be a great alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic and can keep you and your family healthy, and safe.

If you’re interested in these or any of our other life insurance options, call us at (866) 786-0725 to learn more. Be sure to check our free online quoting tool for personalized pricing estimates.

State Covid Rules For Funeral

Every state has different rules regarding what they do and do not allow during the covid-19 pandemic. There’s obviously too many states to list individual choices, but the decisions revolve around the ability to host gatherings, the mandate of facemasks, as well as working from home/what’s allowed in public.
 
It’s also important to note the distinction between indoor and outdoor gatherings, with indoor gatherings implying a much higher overall risk to participants. The CDC guidelines for funerals also may supersede any state restriction if pandemic status is elevated high enough.

Call Final Expense Benefits For Help

While you are planning funeral arrangements for yourself or a loved on, final expense insurance can help cover end-of-life costs. We can provide you a FREE final expense insurance quote right over the phone.
 
There are no waiting periods, and no medical exams to start your coverage. Get an approval in minuets and your coverage starts the next day. We work with only the top five burial insurance companies so you aren’t misled by companies like:
 


We at Final Expense Benefits partner with over 20 carriers, with:

 

Being some of the ones that stand out among the crowd.

Call our expert agents Monday through Friday, 9 A.M. – 5 P.M. ET at (866) 786-0725 or check out our free online quoting tool to receive an estimate.