Bodies Pile Up in China as Covid Surge Overwhelms Crematoriums

While the octogenarian woman didn’t die of Covid-19, the explosion of cases across China is overwhelming crematoriums, making it hard for anyone to find an open slot. Read more:While nobody knows the true extent of fatalities, it’s clear funeral homes in major cities are already at capacity – and some experts warn that the worst is yet to come. Interviews with workers at funeral homes in Beijing and Shanghai, where furnace ovens are now operating through the night, showed the wait for a spot to cremate a loved one now extends well into mid-January. “You’ll have to wait a month if not.”While funeral homes warn against trusting brokerage services, some middlemen are using creative ways to reach anguished families. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek©2023 Bloomberg L.P.