Data shows COVID-19 deaths are likely underreported, funeral homes struggle to keep up
Funeral homes are struggling to keep up as people in our region die from COVID-19 at ever-higher rates.
Author: WCYB Staff, Caleb Perhne
Published: 3:42 PM EST January 7, 2021
Updated: 6:34 PM EST January 7, 2021
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Funeral homes are struggling to keep up as people in East Tennessee die from COVID-19 at ever-higher rates. The data shows more people may be dying from the coronavirus than previously thought.
The number of families Tetrick Funeral Homes served increased by 38 percent from September to December.
“All three of those months, we served more families than any other month in the history of our funeral homes,” President Richard Tetrick said. “It really was all the staff could do to keep up.”