It was about 8.45pm on Saturday night (27 Feb 2021), I had just jumped into my car and turned the radio on to hear the news the Prime Minister was giving a press conference at 9.00pm. After 3 previous lockdowns I knew this wasn’t good news and so I tuned in to hear the update. Auckland was being placed in Level 3 Lockdown and the rest of the country was moving to level 2. The Prime Minster hadn’t even finished her opening remarks when my phone rang and Chelsea was on the line organizing the company’s response plan. When a lockdown is announced our immediate concern is for families that currently have funerals arrangements in process. Lockdown usually means we have to postpone or change what has been planned and this creates upset and distress. We really appreciate the understanding each family has shown during these trying times.

Each time the country goes into lockdown grieving families are directly impacted by the restrictions. Each alert level brings a different set of challenges. At level 3 we are only able to allow 10 people to attend a funeral, and food is unable to be served. 10 people is not many and usually requires difficult choices to be made. Do we go ahead anyway with only 10 guests? who should attend? Can we delay? how long will the lockdown last? etc. With different alert levels in different areas of the county, even if the funeral is to be very small, there are additional challenges for someone needing to travel from outside Auckland, due to border restrictions and the need to get exemptions to travel regionally. Travel is further complicated when someone needs to come from overseas, due to managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ). We understand how stressful these added layer of complexity are when someone is planning a funeral.

We want to be helpful at this difficult time so offer some suggestions to help families facing these impossible decisions:

  1. Take stock of the situation. When lockdowns come they are imposed quickly and without warning, so it is perfectly ok to take 24-48 hours following an announcement to rethink your options and work out what best suits you.
  2. The funeral can be rescheduled. We are more than happy to put all plans on hold and rescheduled the funeral service for another time when it can proceed as originally planned. We know that a lot of effort goes into making the funeral special and nothing needs to be short changed because of COVID.
  3. It’s ok to wait. We’ve recently conducted a number of funerals where we have had to wait for someone to get through MIQ before the funeral can proceed. While having to wait a few weeks seems unusual compared to the traditional 3-4 days between a death and funeral, in the end, doing so provides a much better experience than having key family members missing.
  4. We have the technology. When it is impossible for someone important to your family to be at the funeral webcasting allows for those unable to attend to participate in the service from afar.
  5. We’re on your side. When lockdown disruptions come our only concern is you and your family. We promise to work with to find solutions and create options that focus on your needs first.

Over the past 12 months since COVID has been with us it has reinforced to me the importance of gathering together for a funeral when a death happens and gaining support and strength from your community and those around you. Under level 4 Lockdown when you are not able to hold a funeral, view or say goodbye in any meaningful way it is so difficult for everyone involved. At Dil’s we continue to stand ready to support you when you need us.