MIDLAND, Texas — As if saying goodbye to a loved one isn't already difficult, now, because of COVID-19, funeral services are getting cut short, along with the number of family and friends who can say final goodbyes to their loved ones.
"Funerals are not as long as they were before," Bobby Garcia, Lewallen-Garcia-Pipkin Funeral Home director and owner said.
Garcia said only 10 family members or friends can be present at any funeral service and they must be standing six feet apart from one another.
"It's a very big change for those families, for them not to be able to see their loved ones, for only just a few minutes," Garcia said.
Finding closure is becoming more challenging than ever before, so most families are opting to cremate or have a burial and postpone the ceremony so more of them can grieve in safety.
But if a family does choose to hold a visitation at this time, the funeral home will allow entry to only 10 people at a time for about 3 hours, then they'll disinfect and 10 new people will be allowed to enter.
"We are what we call the last responders. We have to deal with the deceased and the physical manor as well and we have to take care of them just like every other medical worker, like the medical field," said Garcia.
Staff members and directors at the Pipkin funeral home are hosting meetings every Monday morning to go over any new updates or changes to policies that they might be forced to make that week.
One such change utilizes technology to provide a safer way to grieve for families.
The funeral home has implemented Facebook live, allowing their services to be viewed by online stream through the social media platform, providing a degree of comfort to those who are not able or do not wish to physically attend.
While this impersonal goodbye might be a necessity for many now, those who are in need hope that they will soon be able to part with their loved ones in person, together.