Michigan residents should act quickly to claim a family member's body before the state exercises its right to cremate them. | Stock photo
Michigan residents should act quickly to claim a family member's body before the state exercises its right to cremate them. | Stock photo
Ensuring the safe and proper handling of bodily remains, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) had released an Emergency Order posted on the Michigan.gov website back in May.
It states the process, timelines and authorizations relative to the disposition of bodily remains.
The state of Michigan will be allowed to cremate a deceased person without obtaining permission from family members, if the appropriate person cannot be contacted within 24 hours, or if no family member has made arrangements within 48 hours of a relative’s death, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
However, if the decedent’s cause of death transpired under suspicious circumstances or may have been caused by a criminal offense, the cremation must first be approved by the medical examiner.
The order had been released by MDHHS in light of the unusual volume of deaths from COVID-19.
As of Dec. 7, there is a 2.5% statewide case fatality rate, according to Michigan.gov.
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