---
title: "Coronavirus Could Force Funerals to be Livestreamed"
description: "How can you say goodbye to a loved one who fell victim to a pandemic? The outbreak of COVID-19 is forcing officials to ponder some serious questions."
date: "2020-03-05"
modified: "2020-03-05"
authors:
  - name: "Jacob Banas"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jake"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/coronavirus-force-funerals-livestreamed"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Medical"
  - "Pathogens"
  - "Viruses"
tags:
  - "coronavirus"
  - "covid19"
  - "death"
  - "future of death"
  - "the digest"
---

# Coronavirus Could Force Funerals to be Livestreamed

![How can you say goodbye to a loved one who fell victim to a pandemic? The outbreak of COVID-19 is forcing officials to ponder some serious questions.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/coronavirus-force-funerals-livestreamed.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Digital Divide

How can you say goodbye to a loved one who fell victim to a pandemic?

The recent and ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has forced those in the funeral business to address some uncomfortable questions. In fact, in a [statement to *Sky News*](<https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-funerals-could-be-streamed-online-if-covid-19-becomes-pandemic-11950246>), the United Kingdom's National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) said that in the event of a pandemic, memorial services may need to be held over the internet.

## Mourning 2.0

Death during a crisis can be a logistical challenge. Whether families fear infection, or if the government you live under happens to ban public gatherings of a certain size — as happened recently in [France](<https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/02/29/world/europe/29reuters-china-health-france.html>) and [Switzerland](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health/gatherings-banned-travel-restricted-as-coronavirus-cases-grow-worldwide-idUSKBN20O14L>) — we all need to mourn.

The NAFD says it's in "dialogue with the \[UK\] government and local authorities to seek early guidance on steps funeral directors may need to take in the event of a pandemic."

New guidelines, based on the severity of local circumstances, would help families to plan funeral services for loved ones in a variety of ways, ranging from holding a separate memorial service later to livestreaming a service from a crematory facility.

## Death Reimagined

Though NAFD's conversations are preliminary, it's a solemn reminder of a pandemic's capacity to alter the reality of our world, even in death.

The ultimate goal of talks with the government, according to Sky News, would be to help "families who lose a loved one during \[an outbreak\] in finding meaningful ways to say goodbye — even if the funeral they would have preferred isn't possible."

**READ MORE:** [Coronavirus: Funerals 'could be streamed online' if COVID-19 becomes pandemic](<https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-funerals-could-be-streamed-online-if-covid-19-becomes-pandemic-11950246>)

***More on the future of funerals:*** [People are livestreaming funerals](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/livestreaming-funerals>)

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobjbanas/>)