SAN FRANCISCO — The coronavirus has become bad business for U.S. funeral homes, even as fears grow of a wave of deaths. Like companies across the United States, funeral homes and mortuaries are limiting contact with customers in order to avoid spreading the highly contagious respiratory illness, in some cases livestreaming memorial services to extended family and friends. The state of Washington, the early epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, has outright banned funerals, and the pandemic appears to be leading to lost sales of funeral homes' most profitable services, such as elaborate memorials and luxurious coffins. Shares of the largest U.S. funeral-related companies have tumbled along with Wall Street in recent weeks as investors struggle with uncertainty around the pandemic.

Source: International New York Times March 25, 2020 09:56 UTC