Funeral director Tom Cheeseman loads a body into his van in Brooklyn, New York, after making a house call on Friday, April 3. The Associated Press spent a day on the road with Cheeseman, who is overwhelmed by demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.
New York funeral homes overwhelmed by coronavirus
Funeral director Tom Cheeseman loads a body into his van in Brooklyn, New York, after making a house call on Friday, April 3. The Associated Press spent a day on the road with Cheeseman, who is overwhelmed by demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.
John Minchillo/AP

Published 1:01 AM EDT, Tue April 7, 2020

The United States marked a grave milestone on Monday, April 6, when the official death toll from the novel coronavirus surpassed 10,000. The virus has spread throughout the country and since January of this year the number of people infected with Covid-19 has continued to rise.

The situation is most dire in New York, where at least 4,758 people have died, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Funeral homes have been overwhelmed because of increased demand.

Associated Press photojournalist John Minchillo recently spent time covering the work of funeral directors Tom Cheeseman and Pat Marmo in Brooklyn, New York.

Pat Marmo, owner of the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home, works in his body holding facility on Thursday, April 2.
Pat Marmo, owner of the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home, works in his body holding facility on Thursday, April 2.
John Minchillo/AP
Bodies are wrapped in protective plastic in a holding facility at the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2. Funeral directors are seeing a surge of clients because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bodies are wrapped in protective plastic in a holding facility at the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2. Funeral directors are seeing a surge of clients because of the coronavirus pandemic.
John Minchillo/AP
Employee Gina Hansen, right, hands documentation to a client outside the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2.
Employee Gina Hansen, right, hands documentation to a client outside the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2.
John Minchillo/AP
Cheeseman puts on protective gloves as he delivers a body to a funeral home on Friday, April 3. "We took a sworn oath to protect the dead, this is what we do," Cheeseman told The Associated Press. "We're the last responders. Our job is just as important as the first responders."
Cheeseman puts on protective gloves as he delivers a body to a funeral home on Friday, April 3. "We took a sworn oath to protect the dead, this is what we do," Cheeseman told The Associated Press. "We're the last responders. Our job is just as important as the first responders."
John Minchillo/AP
An employee prepares a surface for cleaning bodies in a religious manner at the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2.
An employee prepares a surface for cleaning bodies in a religious manner at the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2.
John Minchillo/AP
Marmo speaks on two phones at once in his office while handling the overflow of clients stemming from Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, April 2. His office phone and two mobiles are ringing constantly. He's apologizing to families at the start of every conversation for being unusually terse and insensitive, and begging them to insist hospitals hold their loved ones as long as possible.
Marmo speaks on two phones at once in his office while handling the overflow of clients stemming from Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, April 2. His office phone and two mobiles are ringing constantly. He's apologizing to families at the start of every conversation for being unusually terse and insensitive, and begging them to insist hospitals hold their loved ones as long as possible.
John Minchillo/AP
Cheeseman, right, speaks to police officers before making a house call to collect a body on Friday, April 3.
Cheeseman, right, speaks to police officers before making a house call to collect a body on Friday, April 3.
John Minchillo/AP
Marmo walks through his body holding facility on Thursday, April 2. "This is a state of emergency," he said to The Associated Press. "We need help."
Marmo walks through his body holding facility on Thursday, April 2. "This is a state of emergency," he said to The Associated Press. "We need help."
John Minchillo/AP
Cheeseman, center, and a colleague deliver a body to a funeral home on Friday, April 3. Cheeseman is picking up as many as 10 bodies per day. Most bodies come from homes and hospitals.
Cheeseman, center, and a colleague deliver a body to a funeral home on Friday, April 3. Cheeseman is picking up as many as 10 bodies per day. Most bodies come from homes and hospitals.
John Minchillo/AP
Cheeseman retrieves a body on a house call on Friday, April 3.
Cheeseman retrieves a body on a house call on Friday, April 3.
John Minchillo/AP
Folders containing information on those who died from Covid-19 are stacked amongst other client files while Hansen works at the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2.
Folders containing information on those who died from Covid-19 are stacked amongst other client files while Hansen works at the Daniel J. Schaefer Funeral Home on Thursday, April 2.
John Minchillo/AP
Cheeseman sorts through a new pile of body collection slips that accumulated throughout his workday at his office on Friday, April 3.
Cheeseman sorts through a new pile of body collection slips that accumulated throughout his workday at his office on Friday, April 3.
John Minchillo/AP
Cheeseman, center, and a colleague make a house call to collect a body on Friday, April 3.
Cheeseman, center, and a colleague make a house call to collect a body on Friday, April 3.
John Minchillo/AP
Marmo walks through a viewing room set up to respect social distancing on Thursday, April 2.
Marmo walks through a viewing room set up to respect social distancing on Thursday, April 2.
John Minchillo/AP