“This disease has cost more lives of Westchester residents, in a condensed period of time, then we are accustomed to. It has created one more challenge for our community to deal with. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Westchester County has maintained constant communication with our local funeral homes and funeral directors to fully understand how we can best support their needs in responding to this devastating illness. After the first positive Coronavirus case was determined, the County immediately set up a Fatality Management Team which includes direct liaisons to our funeral directors, and our Office of Emergency Management has participated in daily calls with the New York State COVID Mortuary Affairs Task Force. Westchester County has ordered additional large quantities of coffins, cremation containers, body bags, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer for our funeral homes, and set up temporary morgue facilities to provide refrigerated space for all funeral directors to use. We have also enlisted the help of the National Guard to assist with body recovery. These are extremely challenging times, and those in the funeral industry are just as much first responders as the medical professionals who are fighting this contagion from the front lines. We have not forgotten the importance of bringing the people who have perished from this terrible disease to their final resting place with the utmost dignity and respect.”
George Latimer, Westchester County Executive