On the eve of many cemetery decoration dates, many are left wondering if and how to participate. The Arkansas Department of Health, and the CDC have not made any specific directives involving the event, however, it does fall under the guidelines of “mass gatherings.”
While under the discretion of cemetery management, some services have been canceled and are simply leaving it up to individual families to decorate gravesites.
On March 26, the ADH initiated the following directive, which remains in effect:
Limitations on Gatherings 10 people / 6 feet
The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the Governor, has sole authority over all instances of quarantine, isolation, and restrictions on commerce and travel throughout Arkansas, as necessary and appropriate to control disease in the state of Arkansas as authorized by Ark. Code Ann. §20-7-109—110. Based on available scientific evidence, it is necessary and appropriate to take further action to ensure that COVID-19 remains controlled and that residents and visitors in Arkansas remain safe. All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit are subject to the following directives and exceptions: Due to the high risk of community spread of COVID-19, gatherings of more than ten (10) people in any confined indoor or outdoor space are prohibited until further notice. Gatherings subject to this directive include, without limitation, community, civic, public, leisure, commercial, or sporting events, concerts, conferences, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, and festivals. This directive does not apply to gatherings of ten (10) or more people in unenclosed, outdoor spaces such as parks, trails, athletic fields and courts, parking lots, golf courses, and driving ranges where social distancing of at least six (6) feet can be easily achieved. This directive does not apply to businesses, manufacturers, construction companies, places of worship, the Arkansas General Assembly, municipal or county governing bodies, or the judiciary; however, these entities are advised to limit person-to-person contact and maintain appropriate social distancing of at least six (6) feet to prevent the spread of this virus. The Secretary of Health reserves the right to exercise his authority to prevent the spread of disease in this State if, in his judgment, any of the excluded entities are operating in a manner that is a risk to public
Families can contact cemetery boards or caretakers for specific information on decoration day events.
