Coronavirus pandemic impacting how families say goodbye to loved ones

This browser does not support the video element.

MARS, Pa. — Funeral homes provide an essential service. On Thursday, as a young boy was laid to rest, people lined the streets to pay their respects – with social distancing still in practice.

The boy did not die from coronavirus, but the pandemic is still impacting the way families say goodbye to their loved ones.

You can customize your WPXI News App to receive alerts for Butler County news. CLICK HERE to find out how.

With CDC guidelines saying no more than 10 people can congregate together, the community came up with a unique way to show support and love.

The McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home in Mars was filled with hundreds and hundreds of people. They lined the streets, holding red balloons.

“We couldn’t be there inside with them, so we came out here to the street,” said family friend Melanie Schultz.

This browser does not support the video element.