Mark Comeau, the head embalmer at Spangler Mortuary, readies the tools he needs to embalm a body in the prepping room at the mortuary in Mountain View on April 7.
Photo by Magali Gauthier.
By Kate Bradshaw
April 9, 2020
These days, death and the rites that come with it are quieter, more cautious affairs than before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Many factors have combined to make this a bad time for funerals, whether someone has died from the coronavirus or not. There’s a shelter-at-home order in effect to deter travel, and a Bay Area-wide limit of 10 people for funeral services. Households that have been exposed to the coronavirus are expected to self-quarantine.
And yet, with 43 COVID-19 related deaths in Santa Clara County and 21 reported in San Mateo County, as of Tuesday, the need for funerary and mortuary services remains high.
Local representatives from cemeteries, mortuaries and funeral homes spoke about the difficult balance they must strike as they seek to help survivors grieve for their loved ones in traditional manners without jeopardizing anybody’s health or safety.
Read more at mv-voice.com.
Kate Bradshaw 
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