FEMA Has Reimbursed $2 Billion in Funeral Costs for COVID-19 Victims

The grave of Bishop James N. Flowers, who passed away from COVID-19 in April 2020, is seen at a cemetery in Hyattsville, Maryland on Feb. 23, 2021. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said on Tuesday that its funeral assistance program has reimbursed more than $2 billion in funeral costs for more than 300,000 families of COVID-19 victims.

The COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020. The average amount awarded per death is $6,500, according to FEMA.