Family and friends watch remotely

As the coronavirus situation escalates, the guidance is that attendance at funeral services be limited to the closest family members to avoid large gatherings that may exacerbate the spread of the virus. Physical separation is now more important than ever, to protect our loved ones who are at risk and to protect funeral directors and crematorium and cemetery staff, who have been rightly identified by the government as key workers during this pandemic.

Although live streaming our moment to say goodbye feels unfamiliar and maybe a little impersonal, the technology is in place and provides a risk-free alternative to social gatherings.

Even before strict ‘stay home’ guidance from the government, it was announced that the funeral of former Wales Rugby player, Matthew J Watkins would be live streamed. A decision made by his family to limit the number of people in congregation and mitigate the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The athlete’s funeral was an early example of what is likely to become common during this outbreak, where live streaming technologies will be used to allow friends and family to mourn together, whilst keeping a physical distance.

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What is live streaming?

Live streaming is the real-time upload of filmed content, of the funeral service and use Wi-Fi connections or mobile internet to broadcast live.

Unlike many public video streams, Funeral live streams are kept private, using secure login and password pages to restrict access. Details are then shared only with invited guests to ensure that your loved one’s service remains as private as you want it to be.

An additional benefit to live streaming is that the service can be recorded at the same time. This means that if people are unavailable at the time of the service, or if they have a poor internet connection, they can watch after the funeral. Many live streaming services hold broadcast recordings indefinitely, meaning they can be viewed in the future.

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