Funerals and coronavirus: How many people can attend services and does it differ across tiers?

Under the new tiered system of lockdown, up to 30 people are permitted to attend funerals in any part of England
REUTERS
David Child16 October 2020

Further Covid-19 restrictions have been rolled out in parts of the UK as part of a new tiered system of lockdown aimed at containing the virus.

Under the measures, Brits in different parts of the country have had their freedoms curtailed to varying degrees.

But despite the differing restrictions, funerals are still permitted to go ahead with up to 30 mourners in all parts of England, regardless of the local Covid-19 alert level.

Here's what you need to know:

Government guidance says funerals must only take place in "Covid-secure venues" or in "public outdoor spaces"
Shutterstock

How many people can attend funerals?

Under the new system, up to 30 people are permitted to attend funerals in any part of England, regardless of the local Covid-19 alert level.

Government guidance says ceremonies must however only take place in "Covid-secure venues" or in "public outdoor spaces".

What about wakes?

Wakes or linked ceremonial events before or after a funeral must meanwhile be limited to just 15 people and not take place in private homes.

The guidance states that food or drink may only be served at such events in the form of a sit-down meal.

It also clarifies that anyone working at a wake or funeral is "not generally counted as part of the limit" on attendees.

"Within these larger gatherings, people do not need to limit their interaction to groups of 6 or their own household, but social distancing should still be followed between people who do not live together or share a support bubble," the guidance says.

Does the number of people permitted to attend funerals differ across tiers?

No. Up to 30 people are permitted to attend funerals in any part of England, regardless of the local Covid-19 alert level.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in