During the outbreak of COVID-19, the Nebraska Governor’s and Omaha Mayor’s offices (under the recommendation of the, C.D.C.) have recommended gatherings be limited to no more than 25 people, outside of the funeral service. This includes the visitation and any gathering after the service.
What does this mean for a funeral service?
1. Pick up and removal service is unaffected by these guidelines. If you loved one passes away, we are still able to bring them into our care.
2. We are allowed to have traditional full funeral services. Our chapels can safely handle up to 50-75 people, depending on the location. We are also creating alternative styles of service to accommodate the new rulings for public gatherings. If services are at a church, we will abide by what they can safely handle in their sanctuary or chapel.
3. This recommendation also extends to Graveside Services. Even though open-air gatherings have little or no surface contact issues, the local government is still limiting gatherings of more than 25 people whether indoors or outdoors.
4. Some churches in the local area are deciding not to open, yet. During the arrangement conference, we will contact the church to find out if they are open and what rules they have in place
What options do we have for a funeral service?
1. We can still hold a visitation with a viewing, as long as the total number of people in the room does not exceed the recommended 25 people. We will be extending our hours for visitations to allow people to pay their respects. With more time available, we will hopefully be able to keep the number of people at any given time lower than the 25 people threshold.
2. We can still hold viewings for immediate family. We will be scheduling private times for the family to spend with their loved ones separate from the public visitation. This will help aid in social distancing.
3. We do have the capability to Live Stream a funeral service. Ask your Funeral Director if you are interested in this option. Currently, we are limited to Facebook Live for streaming, with more options coming in the future
Information from the C.D.C. and local government is changing rapidly. We are closely monitoring the situation and will relay any new information as it becomes available. If you have further questions, please ask your Funeral Director or call the funeral home.
Sincerely,
Brian K. Roeder, owner
Roeder Mortuaries, Inc.