UPDATE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Message to Funeral and Cemetery Professionals
Gatherings Shall Not Be Ten (10) Or More PeopleAs you are aware, we all find ourselves in extraordinary circumstances, coming together to ensure the health and safety of our families, neighbors, and communities as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate. There is a collective need for the funeral and cemetery profession to take steps for keeping families, guests, staff, and others safe so that you can enable families to participate in memorial events that are of uppermost importance to them.
In response to public health concerns regarding the number of people in social gatherings, direction is included in Executive Order No. 17 issued on Sunday, March 22, 2020, by Governor Bill Lee. To limit the spread of COVID-19 so that normal life and activities may resume as soon as possible, the Governor has ordered that persons in the State of Tennessee shall not participate in social gatherings of ten (10) or more people. Those social gatherings include but are not limited to visitations, funerals, or other memorial events and burial of deceased humans (whether these are held at a funeral establishment, church, cemetery or other facility). Executive Order No. 17 shall be effective and enforceable and shall remain in effect until 12:01 a.m., Central DaylightTime, on April 6, 2020, at which time the suspension of any state laws and rules and other provisions of this Order shall cease and be of no further force or effect.
Please seek alternative business practices during this disruption and look for innovative methods for your businesses. While listening to funeral and cemetery professionals, we have been made aware of great concepts and thoughtful ways to serve families.
Please continue checking these resources for information and updates related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19):