In this March 1, 2020, file photo, army soldiers wearing protective suits spray JJ disinfectant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in front of a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, South Korea. As the coronavirus spreads around the world, many events that normally would draw large numbers of people are being canceled or played without fans. (Lee Moo-ryul/Newsis via AP, File)
In this March 1, 2020, file photo, army soldiers wearing protective suits spray JJ disinfectant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in front of a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, South Korea. As the coronavirus spreads around the world, many events that normally would draw large numbers of people are being canceled or played without fans. (Lee Moo-ryul/Newsis via AP, File) Lee Moo-ryul, Associated Press
Herb Scribner
By Herb Scribner
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The National Association of Funeral Directors see a future where funerals are streamed online — especially if the coronavirus continues to spread.

What’s going on?

  • The NAFD told Sky News that a COVID-19 pandemic would lead to funerals being streamed over the internet.
  • The NAFD said it was in “dialogue with the government and local authorities to seek early guidance on steps funeral directors may need to take in the event of a pandemic.”
  • NAFD said it is monitoring how severe the virus becomes. It would later see whether or not funerals would be “adapted in the event of a ban on public gatherings and other changes”.
  • The NAFD said: “As well as supporting the government and local authorities in managing the impact of the additional deaths, funeral directors would be focused on helping families who lose a loved one during that time in finding meaningful ways to say goodbye — even if the funeral they would have preferred isn’t possible. One option might include the webcasting of funeral services, as many crematoria now have these facilities — or holding a separate memorial service at a later date.”

Online funerals are already a trend

  • Online funerals aren’t exactly new. A survey from Royal London found that one-third of adults ages 18 to 34 said they wouldn’t have a problem attending an online or virtual funeral, Refinery29 reports.
  • “Many older people are not comfortable with this, but it is noticeable that younger people are much more open to paying their respects in a different way,” Royal London’s consumer spokesperson Mona Patel said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
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