Air quality restrictions relaxed for cremations due to increase in need for funeral services

ARE SEEING A 50PERCENT PLUS INCREASE NEED FORTHEIR SERVICES..SOMUCH THAT JUST THIS WEEK THEYHAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER 50STORAGE UNIT - AND HAVE EVENSTEPPED IN TO HELP WITHCREMATION FROM SURROUNDINGCITIES.

AND THATS JUST HALF OFTHEMANY TASKS THEY ARE DOING TO ANDTHEY FEAR THE END IS NOT HEREYET.SOT:JIM LAMAR/ PRESIDENT, OFGREENLAWN FUNERAL HOMESI AM NOT TRYING TO BE DOOM ANDGLOOM BUT I WANT PEOPEL TOAIR CAUTIOUSLY AND I WANT PEOPLETO TAKE IS SERIOUS ANDBE SAFE BUT THERE IS A TIDALWAVE COMING I FEAR.FOR OVER A YEAR NOW MANY FUNERALHOMES, LIKE GREENLAWN-HAVE BEEN BATTLING TO THE MEETTHE HIGH DEMAND THAT THECOVID 19 PANDEMIC HAS POUREDDOWN ACORSS THECOUNTRY.

JIM LAMAR GREENLAWNFUNERAL HOMESSAYS THAT THEY ARE SEEING MORETHAN DOUBLE AMOUNT OF THEFAMILIES THEY ARE SERVING- ANDTO MEET THE NEED THEY ARENOW WORKING 6 DAYS WEEK-SOT: JIM LAMAR/ PRESIDENT,GREENLAWN FUNERAL HOMESWE HAVE ALREADY MET FOR JANUARYTHE ENTIRE NUMBER THAT WEHAVE SERVED FOR LAST JANAURY ANDWE ARE JUST HALFWAYTHROUGH THE MONTH..

SO WE KNOWITS A HAIGH INFLUX OF DEATH.LAMAR SAYS THE INCREASE OFDEATHS IN KERN COUNTY HAVEBEEN COVID RELATED- THE NEEDSARE CLIMBING SOMUCH THAT JUST THIS WEEK THEYHAVE A 50 STORAGE UNITCOMING ONLINE-TO ASSIST WITHTHE STORING OF THE DEAD FROVERFLOW FROM OTHER FUNERALHOMES AND- EVEN A LOCALHOSPITAL.WE HAVE PURCHASED ADDITIONALVANS FOR TRANSPOAND WE JUST ORDERED TWO COACHESWE HAVE ADDED 140 INT HE LAST 13MONTHS AND THERE HAS BEENTIMES THAT WASN'T ENOUGH.THE FUNERAL PARLOR IS NOT ONLYMANAGING THE NEEDS OFKERN COUNTY BUT HAS BEEN BROUGHTIN TO HELP OTHSURROUNDING AREAS WHO HAVEREACHED THEIR CAPACITY ONSTORAGE AND CREMATION.WE HAVE BEEN GETTING CALLS FROMSOUTHERN CALIFORNIACOULD THEY BRING PEOPLE UP HEREFOR US TO CREMATEBECAUSE THEY ARE JUST THEY ARETELLING FAMILIES WCAN'T SERVE YOU AND ARE HAVINGTO CALL AROUND TO FIND SOMEONEWHO CAN.LAMAR SAYS PRE-PANDEMIC WERECREMATING 4 A DAY TO NOWUP TO 10..

AND NOW WITHCREMATION UP ONE CITY IN KERNCOUNTY RECEIVED SPECIALPERMISSION THEIR AIR QUALITYBOARD REGARDING CREMATION.AND WHAT WE ARE STARTING TO SEEACTUALLY IN OUR CREMATORIUM INTEHACHAPI THEY LIFTED THE LIMITBECAUSE THE PEOPLE/FUNERAL HOMESARE ALREADY SURPASSING THEIRLIMIT AT THE RATE THEY ARE GOINGTO FAR EXCEED WHAT'S BEEN DEEMEDLEGAL..

SO THEY ARE MAKING ANEMERGENCY DETERMINATIONON THE AMOUNT PEOPLE AN CREMATEIN A YEAR.LEZLA: AND GREENLAWN SAYS AT THEMOMENT BAKERSFIELD HASNOT REACHED AT POINT WHERE THEYWOULD NEED TO RELAXAIR QUALITY RESTRICTIONSREGARDING COVID- BUT SAYTHEY ARE MONITORING IT CLOSELY..IN BAKERSFIELD LEZLA GOODEN23ABC NEWS.MEANWHILE -- KERN COUNTY PUBLICHEALTH REPORTE