In the early days of the pandemic, COVID-19 was rarely if ever noted as a cause of death on a death certificate. What do I do?

FEMA expanded its COVID-19 Funeral Assistance documentation requirements to allow applicants to submit a signed statement from the certifying official listed on the death certificate, or the local medical examiner or local coroner, attributing the death to COVID-19 for deaths that occurred between Jan. 20 and May 16, 2020.

The signed statement must accompany the death certificate and include a causal pathway, or explanation, linking the cause of death on the death certificate to COVID-‍19.