THOMASVILLE — Church funerals are out of the question now, according to three Thomasville funeral home owners.

Graveside services are being conducted while following coronavirus-related mandates.

Don Shiver, owner of Whiddon-Shiver Funeral Home, also is Thomas County coroner.

“Most coroner cases are sudden death or less than 24 hours in the hospital,” Shiver said.

Most people Infected with COVID-19 live longer than 24 hours, he said.

A recent case involved someone who arrived at the Archbold Memorial Hospital emergency room and died within 24 hours.

“We treat everybody as though they have the virus,” Shiver said.

He said the virus is expected to spike here in two weeks.

Whiddon-Shiver Funeral Home is conducting graveside services only with 10 or fewer people attending and practicing social distancing.

“That includes our staff and the minister,” Shiver said.

He said some of families of the deceased have issues with the virus rulings.

Funeral homes are supposed to follow the rulings, but have no authority to enforce them, Shiver said.

Ben Hatcher, Hatcher-Peoples Funeral Home owner, said some people want as many family members as possible to attend a funeral. 

During viewing of the deceased at the funeral home, hand sanitizer is used at the entrance and in the viewing room. The rule of no more than 10 people applies.

Hatcher said he and funeral home directors he knows throughout the country are trying to abide by the rules while working with families of the deceased.

Hatcher has six funerals this week. All will be graveside services with no repasts afterward.

Archbold is taking remains to the morgue in the basement instead of allowing funeral home personnel to go to floors to collect remains, Hatcher said.

At Allen & Allen Funeral Home, owner Darrell Allen said immediate family is allowed — in groups of less than 10 — to view the deceased with no receiving of friends.

Graveside services are restricted to eight in attendance.

”We have to have the minister and one person from the staff there,” Allen said.

Videos of graveside services are posted on the funeral home website and on YouTube.

“We encourage family members to come together and watch it to create a funeral experience for them,” Allen said.

Some family members plan to have an actual funeral service later.

“All of our families have been understanding,” Allen said.

Funeral home owners pointed out that chairs at graveside services are placed six feet apart.