The outbreak of the novel coronavirus and its associated illness, COVID-19, has brought a lot of uncertainty to Canadians' daily lives, not only concerning their health, but what should happen if it fails.
Although tragedy is something the community as a collective is fighting to avoid, rest assured that individuals who pass away during the pandemic and their families will receive the same, if not more, end-of-life-care than that offered previously, at least until further notice.
On March 16, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ordering the closure of various public spaces and banning events of 50 people or more. You might be wondering how this directive will impact the treatment and celebration of those who die during this time, whether from COVID-19 or not.
In short, it won't affect service at all, aside from the 50-person limit, said Gerry Lougheed Jr., owner and funeral director of Lougheed Funeral Homes. Individuals in the funeral industry are well accustomed to dealing with the dangers of viral infection, he said March 18.
"My people are all trained, (and) virus is not something they're not already familiar with handling," said Lougheed. "It's making sure the public is not exposed in a way that would infect them.
"We deal with infectious diseases on a daily basis and we are trained to do that. That's why you use licensed funerals and embalmers because you want it handled properly."
From the direction of the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BOA), the bodies of deceased individuals will continue to be interred at cemeteries or mausoleums, hydrolyzed or cremated, if approved by the crematorium. Funeral homes have also been authorized to continue transfers from the place of death and embalmings.
At this time, there is no known risk associated with being in the same room with the body of someone who has died from COVID-19. Meaning funeral homes and places of worship are welcome to host funeral or visitation services of 50 people or less, even with an open casket.
Lougheed said that in most cases, these services will be limited to immediate family or small groups in special circumstances. Lougheed Funeral Homes, on the other hand, have several rooms to separate and stagger groups of 50 people or more.
It is, however, possible to contract COVID-19 by touching a surface that has the virus on it followed by touching one's nose, mouth or eyes.
With this in mind, guests are advised not to kiss or come in direct contact with the body of someone who has died of COVID-19. Those responsible for washing the body or shrouding it for religious reasons are encouraged to work with their cultural or religious leaders and funeral home staff to reduce their exposure as much as possible.
Lougheed Funeral Home offers livestreamed funeral services using previously installed equipment at the Jackson and Barnard location, in addition to online condolences and photo galleries, for those looking to participate nation-wide.
"You still need to mourn the death, so we will try to accommodate that very personal and intimate experience in the context of this virus," he said.
Funeral homes that continue to serve the public are asked to post signage promoting responsible hygiene, have hand sanitizer available at all entrances, keep soap dispensers full, make additional tissues available and introduce a strict cleaning regimen. Staff have also been advised to limit face-to-face interactions wherever possible.
The majority of these sanitation measures were already in place at Lougheed Funeral Homes prior to the pandemic, said Lougheed. Staff have begun disinfecting all public areas once an hour on top of their cleaning schedule.
Lougheed said that anyone looking to reschedule or adust their funeral arrangements in response to COVID-19 are more than welcome to do so and some already have. It could be a more agreeable alternative, he said, particularly if guests from other countries were expected to attend.
In this difficult time, Lougheed said his staff are working to accommodate the needs of their clients, up to and including transporting individuals from retirement homes to say their final goodbyes. Staff will also be providing one-on-one support per request.
"The new norm is providing more services and more support," he said.
Find more information on how the Bereavement Authority of Ontario recommendations for funeral professionals here.
