PEORIA, Ill. (WAND) - With its death rate continuing to rise during the pandemic, Peoria County has activated a mobile morgue.
NBC affiliate WEEK spoke with Coroner Jamie Harwood, who said the rate of death in the county outpaces its ability to process deaths. The station reports this relocatable morgue has been used for two weeks.
At the end of 2020, the county had 3,461 deaths, an increase of 441 from 2019. A total of 195 of those deaths were related to COVID-19.
Harwood said the county is simply staying prepared, despite the increase in deaths.
“I want the point to be made we’re absolutely not in crisis," Harwood said. "What we are doing is in the preparing phase, planning just in case we have a surge in those numbers. It’s my job as the coroner of Peoria County that we’re prepared for a surge in deaths and to have a place for people to go in a dignified manner, and that’s what we are doing right now."
Peoria County is dealing with multiple other factors, including a backup created as Peoria's three hospitals take patients from all over the region. Harwood said it can take time to get a person to a funeral home outside of Peoria when they die, causing a delay.
Harwood added families have been delaying burials as they either want to wait for a traditional service to be had or just don't have the money right now.
