Is Natural Burial still safe in the face of Covid-19? YES!
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Amidst the fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, there are concerns about how to move forward. Each member of the Conservation Burial Alliance is taking the pandemic seriously and adjusting practices to make sure we are creating as safe an environment as possible for all. The NFDA reports that the CDC recommendations to date are that, “...decedents with COVID-19 may be buried or cremated according to the family's preference” and “There is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19.”
If your choice is to have a natural burial for yourself, a family member, or friend, it is safe to do so and we are prepared to help. The principles of conservation burial are rooted in community and involvement. We take pride in giving families that come to us agency and ownership of the burial process, and including them every step of the way. It is in this same spirit of community that we acknowledge that, while a deceased person does not represent a significant threat to spreading the virus, gathering together does. For the safety of our staff, and the volunteers and families we work with, all members of the CBA are generally adopting the boxed procedures to the letter of and beyond CDC guidelines: While there may be other public interactions that pose a greater threat of community spread, we deeply believe we must work together and do everything possible to slow the spread of this virus. We ask for your understanding and partnership as we move through these days together. 
Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery masked burial
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Conservation Burial Ground Guidelines During the Pandemic Each Conservation Burial Ground (CBG) has developed its own safety standards for staff and families, for how to proceed with burials during the pandemic. These requirements may be different by state, and may change over time. Please check individual cemetery websites for updated rules and guidelines. The guidelines below have been approved by the Conservation Burial Alliance. * All pre-planning and burial arrangements need to be done using virtual tools, including phone, email, and video conferencing. * Selection of specific grave spaces, for individuals planning ahead or in immediate-need, can be done virtually by sharing photos and/or videos of available sites. Some CBGs may reserve the right to choose the burial site for at-need burials during this time. * Regulations about the number of people who may gather for a funeral or burial service may vary by state, please check with individual CBGs for more updated information. * CBG staff will still work with families to offer elements of rites and ceremony during a burial, and may be able to video or live-stream burials for families to share with their community. When it is safe for regular cemetery operations to resume, CBGs invite families to organize a ceremony or celebration of life at the grave site. * CBGs will review and confirm safety procedures with funeral home partners for each burial, and reserve the final word on any decision making and protocols related to their cemetery, to ensure that all staff and attendees remain as safe as possible. Burial safety measures include the need for strict physical distancing, and all staff and attendees need to maintain a minimum of six (6) feet of space between each other at all times. * Tools, protective gear, and any shared equipment shared between cemetery staff and burial attendees will be sanitized between use. Appropriate sanitizing products will be made available at the burial site. Additionally, burial staff may wear appropriate and proper personal protection equipment (PPE) as necessary and available. |
Using technology for online services
While some cemetery staff are not equipped to manage the burial in addition to assisting with operating equipment, they will do all they can to accommodate the funeral director or other attendee in their efforts to share the event with online witnesses. Please let your cemetery operator know if you will be planning to livestream the burial. Here are some platforms that work well in this setting.
Cemetery staff will do their best to assist families with unattended funerals by offering a reading or prayer during the closing of the grave. A full unattended service will not be possible during this time, but we invite families to schedule funerals at a later date. Here are some resources to help find the perfect written piece to be spoken graveside, and to help with planning services in future.
Thanks to the Green Burial Council and Funeral.Org Partnership for sharing these resources.
Cemetery staff will do their best to assist families with unattended funerals by offering a reading or prayer during the closing of the grave. A full unattended service will not be possible during this time, but we invite families to schedule funerals at a later date. Here are some resources to help find the perfect written piece to be spoken graveside, and to help with planning services in future.
- The Inspired Funeral
- GatheringUs
- Funeral Helper
- OregonFuneral.org
- Your End of Life Guide (for assistance with the online platforms and celebrancy)
Thanks to the Green Burial Council and Funeral.Org Partnership for sharing these resources.
