International Funeral Service of NY Is Prepared to Safely Continue to Care For Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

International Funeral Service of NY remains committed and prepared to safely care for the families it serves during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Whenever possible, International Funeral Service of NY will continue to enable families to participate in the rituals that are most important to them.

According to the CDC, at this time, there is no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of confirmed or suspected COVID-19; however, federal, state and local public health guidance officials have restricted the size of gathering a family is able to plan. Current guidelines state no more than 10 people in a gathering until March 31, 2020. Depending on a family’s preferences, their loved one can be safely embalmed. Families may choose either burial or cremation as usual.

“At International Funeral Service of NY, we recognize our responsibility to protect the health of those we are privileged to serve,” said Pat Marmo, owner. “We will continue to guide families, as we always have, in ways they can meaningfully commemorate the life of their loved one, while adhering to the guidance issued by federal, state and local public health officials.”

Marmo continued: “Our staff remains vigilant about cleaning our facilities and ensuring we’re all following recommended healthy habits, such as staying home when sick, washing our hands, and covering coughs and sneezes. The CDC and our state and local public health officials have offered a lot of helpful guidance for businesses on this topic, which we continue to follow.”

International Funeral Service of NY is in the process of setting up webcasting services so family members can view their selected funeral services from the safety of their own home. We advise that you encourage those who are ill or part of an at-risk population (e.g. the elderly, immune-compromised, etc.) to stay home and tune into the services virtually.

Our funeral directors and staff are equipped to make funeral arrangements via phone, fax and email. We recommend using these forms of communication, if possible. If arrangements must be done in person, we recommend using video conference services such as Skype, Zoom or Facetime. Please call our office ahead of time, 718-282-0666, to schedule an appointment with a funeral director.

As a member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), International Funeral Service of NY regularly receives information via NFDA from the CDC, Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies about the evolution of COVID-19 in the United States. NFDA continues to lead the conversation with federal officials about the role of funeral service as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the staff of International Funeral Service of NY be of assistance, please contact us at 718-282-0666.