UPDATE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Message to Funeral and Cemetery Professionals Regarding Executive Order No. 22
NASHVILLE - As 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 coronavirus (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. 22 issued on Monday, March 30, 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 are urged to stay at home, except for when engaging in an Essential Activity or Essential Services as defined by Executive Order No. 22. Essential activities 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). When engaged in an Essential Activity all persons are strongly encouraged to use thoughtful planning, careful coordination, consideration of others, and shall always follow the Health Guidelines to the greatest extent practicable. It is also strongly encouraged that the public celebration component of funerals be postponed or attended only by close family members. Executive Order No. 22 shall be effective and enforceable and shall remain in effect until 11:59 p.m., Central Daylight Time, on April 14, 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):
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC
Tennessee Office of the Governor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - EPA
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