A medical distributor in Illinois has announced the increasing and heart wrenching demands of refrigerated trailers used as mobile and makeshift morgues as a result of strains from funeral homes.
The need for trailers are compounded by private mortuaries which allows longer time for spaces to be occupied by clients who are waiting to bury their loved ones, regardless of how they died.
A spokeswoman for Med Alliance Group said they were overwhelmed by calls and emails from cities around the country.
“Each asks the same thing. Send some more refrigerated trailers.” she said.
She added that “The calls are coming from all over: hospitals, health systems, coroner’s offices, VA facilities, county and state health departments and funeral homes.”
The Group has rented out all its trailers and proposed an 18 week wait for new materials to build more.
Brian Murphy, CEO of Arctic Industries, which manufactures walk-in coolers and quick-assemble modular structures in Miami and Los Angeles also said he is receiving more calls seeking for help.
“In the past, most clients were from the food industry, but with restaurants shuttered, calls about mortuary needs have risen,” he said
“Our company is prioritizing work related to COVID-19 and is considering working more hours to meet need.
“Everything is very much in flux.” He concluded.
