Family members must act quickly after the death of a loved one from COVID-19 in the state of Michigan. | Adobe Stock
Family members must act quickly after the death of a loved one from COVID-19 in the state of Michigan. | Adobe Stock
The family of a deceased individual must act quickly if they do not want to see their loved one cremated, since the state of Michigan has the authority to cremate a body without consent from a family member if contact cannot be made within 24 hours, or if no survivor of the deceased individual has made arrangements for the body within 48 hours of the death.
If the loved one of a deceased person cannot be located, or if they "affirmatively decline to exercise their right or fail to exercise their right to control the final disposition of the body," the medical examiner may exercise those rights instead.
The rule was outlined in a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order from May, which was announced in the wake of COVID-19-related death spikes in Michigan.
However, certain circumstances might prevent the cremation from occurring. For example, bodies cannot be cremated if the person's death involves criminal activity or suspicious circumstances. In these instances, the cremation must be approved by the medical examiner, which may take longer than 24 hours.
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