Updated COVID-19 Funeral and Mortuary Science Guidance

minnesota department of health

The guidance sent March 26 has been updated. The underlying clarification of the application of the Executive Order is:

Funerals. Individuals may leave home to attend funerals, whether at a place of worship, funeral home, burial site, or other similar location, provided that the gathering consists of no more than 10 attendees. The space utilized must allow for social distancing (six feet spacing between people). Venues should make accommodations for remote attendance, if possible, for others. Individuals who are at high risk from COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to attend remotely.

COVID-19: Funeral and Mortuary Science Guidance

Essential Providers

  • Workers performing mortuary services, including funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemetery
    workers; including workers who coordinate with other organizations to ensure the proper
    recovery, handling, identification, transportation, tracking, storage and disposal of human remains
    are essential workers during COVID-19 response, pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-
    2020; and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the CISA Guidance on the Essential
    Critical Infrastructure Workforce.

  • Funeral homes, crematories, and morticians are essential providers and authorized to perform
    within their scope of duty to take charge and remove deceased persons from the place of death,
    prepare a deceased person for final disposition in any manner, and make arrangements, provided
    that such arrangements comply with the Emergency Executive Order 20-2020, the March 19, 2020
    Funeral and Mortuary Science Guidance; and the MDH Guidance on social distancing.

Emergency Executive Order 20-20, Directing Minnesotans to Stay at Home

  • Beginning Friday, March 27, 2020 at 11:59 pm through Friday, April 10, 2020 at 5:00 pm, all
    persons currently living in the State of Minnesota are ordered to stay at home in their current
    place of residence.

  • Individuals may leave home to attend funerals, whether at a place of worship, funeral home,
    burial site, or other similar location, provided that the gathering consists of no more than 10
    attendees. The space utilized must allow for social distancing (six feet spacing between people).
    Venues should make accommodations for remote attendance, if possible, for others. Individuals
    who are at high risk from COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to attend remotely.

  • Funeral homes are authorized to meet with families to make arrangements for final disposition,
    but should do so by telephone or remotely when possible. If funeral homes must meet with
    families, they should do so provided they practice social distancing consistent with the
    Department of Health and CDC guidance.

  • Private viewing for the purpose of identifying the decedent by the person or persons with the
    right to control final disposition as described in Minnesota Statutes, section 149A.80, is acceptable
    provided that the viewing is consistent with the Department of Health and CDC guidance on social
    distancing.

  • Electronic or digital signatures are acceptable as long as they follow the guidelines in Minnesota
    Statutes, chapter 325L.

COVID-19 Funeral and Mortuary Science Guidance

  • The COVID-19 Funeral Guidance issued on March 19, 2020 is effective until Friday, March 27, at
    11:59 pm. The COVID-19 Guidance for Infection Control remains in place during the duration of
    the COVID-19 response.

Ultimately, funeral homes and providers must comply with these guidelines in order to reduce the
spread of the coronavirus, while meeting the needs of grieving families.