BOSTON (SHNS) – More than half of the state Legislature is asking Gov. Charlie Baker to bump up funeral directors and other funeral workers into the first phase of the state’s three-tier vaccination plan, describing that population as “the only COVID-facing workers not placed in Phase I.”
A letter circulated by Danvers Rep. Sally Kerans’ office, signed by 118 lawmakers, says that 33 other states “placed funeral home directors and workers in the same category for vaccination as other health care workers.”
“Ensuring that these workers remain healthy is essential to averting another public health crisis that would arise as a result of a shortage of the personnel trained and authorized to remove and handle the deceased,” the letter said.
Funeral workers currently fall in the second phase of the state’s vaccination timeline, along with people who work in early and K-12 education, restaurants, and foodservice, sanitation, transportation, public works, vaccine development, the court system, medical supply chains, food pantries, utilities, agriculture, retail and shipping ports, and terminals.
