3 chapters across the catalog
Reports from Oregon and Central Florida claim that hospitals are using refrigerated trucks to store bodies because morgues and funeral homes are at capacity. In Tillamook County, Oregon, officials cited a low vaccination rate as the cause for the surge. Critics suggest these stories are recycled "scripts" from earlier in the pandemic and encourage verifying the claims with local funeral directors.
Tarrant County Refrigerated Trucks, Funeral Delay Realities
A news report from Tarrant County, Texas, discusses the use of refrigerated trucks for body storage. However, the report clarifies that the backlog is partly due to families delaying funerals until pandemic conditions improve, rather than a sudden surge in infectious deaths alone.
New York City has begun using Hart Island for the burial of COVID-19 victims who remain unclaimed. While media reports characterized this as a desperate measure, the island has been a designated municipal burial ground operated by the Parks Department since December 2019.
