COVID-19 deaths overwhelm morgue in Cowlitz County

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A recent increase in COVID-19 deaths has overwhelmed a southwest Washington county’s storage capacity, prompting the coroner to ask the commissioners declare an emergency to allow the county to bring in a refrigeration trailer. Cowlitz County commissioners agreed Tuesday  to the request to help expand capacity until the new morgue is ready for staff to move into in about a month. The Daily News reports at least eight county residents died due to COVID-19 between Aug. 31 and Sept. 6. Coroner Tim Davidson said the morgue and the county’s funeral homes are maxed out on capacity. All together, the facilities can typically hold 45 bodies and right now have about 65.