As the death rate doubles during the COVID-19 pandemic, cremation limits have increased in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES (KABC) – The death rate during the COVID-19 pandemic is so high in Los Angeles County that an emergency order has been issued raising environmental limits on the number of cremations that can be carried out each month.

The death rate in the region is double what it was before the pandemic, leading to a large backlog of hospitals, funeral homes and crematoriums, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

AQMD is temporarily lifting environmental restrictions on cremations to help deal with the accumulation of bodies waiting to be removed and cremated.

The 10-day exemption was granted following requests from the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner and the county’s Department of Public Health.

RELATED: Los Angeles County Records 1 Million Cases of Coronavirus

“The current death rate is more than double the pre-pandemic years, causing hospitals, funeral homes and crematoriums to exceed capacity without the ability to process the backlog of cases,” said AQMD.

Los Angeles County has reported 13,848 deaths since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, including 108 additional deaths reported on Sunday. The county reported more than 1 million cases in total.

Funeral homes and cemeteries report having to refuse families because of how many funerals they are holding.

Even the Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier – the country’s largest cemetery – says it has trouble coping with demand.

The 2,500-acre cemetery has seen its daily call volume double and the burial process is now taking at least a month, when it would normally be 5 to 7 days. Some families report that they waited hours simply to find someone at the cemetery.