Phil Schmitz of George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls. Photo from SDNW.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — In what has been a busy year due to deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, funeral home directors in South Dakota have had to work longer and harder, endure greater stress than usual and adapt to new ways of helping people grieve for loved-ones they have lost.
Many funeral home directors across the state say they have seen double or triple the usual number of deaths in the past few months as the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on, killing more than 1,440 people in the state as of late December.
Materials such as personal protective equipment, caskets, body bags, and gloves are in short supply and wait times are increasing for cremation services. The funeral process has also changed for mourners who are unable to gather and grieve as they would have before the pandemic.
In the latest article published by News Watch, available here, freelance reporter Megan Raposa shows how funeral directors and mourners are adapting during the ongoing pandemic.
