As the mortality rate doubles during the COVID-19 pandemic, cremation limits were raised in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES (KABC) – The mortality rate during the COVID-19 pandemic is so high in Los Angeles County that an emergency order has been issued that raises the environmental limits on the number of cremations that can be performed each month.

The mortality rate in the region is double that before the pandemic, which led to a large accumulation of hospitals, funeral homes and crematoria, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The AQMD temporarily lifts environmental restrictions on cremations to help deal with the backwardness of bodies waiting to be removed and incinerated.

The 10-day exemption was granted at the request of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Examiner and the county public health department.

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“The current mortality rate is more than double that of pre-pandemic years, causing hospitals, funeral homes and crematoria to exceed capacity without the ability to process case backlog,” the AQMD said. .

Los Angeles County has reported 13,848 deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, including an additional 108 deaths Sunday. The county has reported more than a million cases in general.

Funeral homes and cemeteries report having separated families because of the number of funerals they hold.

Even the Rose Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Whittier, the nation’s largest cemetery, says it has trouble managing demand.

The 2,500-acre cemetery has seen its daily call volume double and the burial process is taking at least a month, when it would normally take 5 to 7 days. Some families report waiting hours simply to get someone to the cemetery.