Funeral homes across Florida are bracing for the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some models predict more than 6,500 people in Florida will die from the disease by this summer.
Michele Hood from the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida says her members are already scrambling to find enough PPE, the Personal Protective Equipment they will need when handling human remains.
She says many funeral directors get regular shipments of supplies, but those shipments are being diverted to other parts of the country with urgent needs.
Hood says people will have to adapt to a new kind of funeral that can be held during a time of "social distancing." She says many funeral homes limit services to just 10 people while other mourners can watch online.
Even arranging a funeral is difficult because loved ones have often been in close contact with the deceased and are in quarantine for two-weeks after their death.
Recently, some airlines have said they will not transport the bodies of people who died of COVID-19. That's a particularly important issue in Florida where many retirees wish to be laid to rest in their home state.
Hood says people will have to change their expectations because many overwhelmed funeral directors will not be able to offer as many options during this time of crisis.
Image courtesy Getty