BERRIEN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Berrien County Health Department officials have confirmed the second COVID-19 death as of Monday.
The victim is described as a male over the age of 65 who had underlying medical conditions and had been hospitalized at Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph. This comes after the first reported death last week.
“This loss of life is tragic and we send our deep condolences to the family,” said Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten. “We remain committed to slowing the spread of this virus to try to minimize the loss of life in our community during these unprecedented times.”
Health officials say that many COVID-19 cases in Berrien County have been linked to funeral services. As a result, officials say funerals should be livestreamed whenever possible.
“This is a solution that allows for the closest immediate family members at the funeral service in person, while keeping that gathering to under 10 people, while other people participate from home,” officials said in a statement. “Live chat can be included for anyone who may not have a webcam at home but still wants to be actively involved in the funeral service. Multimedia offerings can be provided to remote attendees, including the funeral program, written eulogy, and family photos and videos. Many funeral homes in Berrien County have already started to implement these remote viewing alternatives.”
Additionally, health officials advise celebrating any upcoming religious holidays at home.
“While the way we celebrate traditions may be different this year, know that you are not alone,” said Health Officer Nicki Britten. “This is a challenging time and while we come from many different backgrounds, faiths and walks of life, we are uniquely bonded by this shared experience. One of the most loving things we can do for one another is to stay home.”
These events include gathering for special worship services, Easter egg hunts, Passover meals, or other events.
Health officials are offering the following tips to help slow the spread and avoid infection:
- Check your place of worship’s webpage and social media for virtual services.
- Celebrate with family via video chat.
- Cook traditional foods at home to enjoy the familiar tastes and smells of the holiday.
- Consider a smaller celebration with your immediate family now, and hold a larger celebration when the pandemic is over.
- If you are setting up remote worship, make sure to communicate with your community on how to get connected.
- Both Facebook and YouTube have options called “Premiere” that will allows houses of worship to pre-record, load, and schedule a video of a service to start at a certain time. This provides a similar feel and comments section interaction of a livestream, but does not require a broadcast live with WiFi. This article has tips on setting up your video premiere.
The latest information about COVID-19 can be found at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or www.michigan.gov/coronavirus.
