Coronavirus Update

To Our Valued Hillside Families, Guests, and Visitors:

It is quite a relief to see COVID metrics decrease over the last few months. California lifted its state mask mandate a couple of months ago. Most recently, LA County followed suit by changing its guidance for indoor masking from a requirement to being strongly recommended.

After careful consideration and in consultation with the Hillside leadership team, we have modified our masking protocols, effective July 14, 2022, to the following:

It is strongly recommended but not mandated that families and visitors wear a face mask when attending a service or visiting Hillside. Families may impose their own protocols for their guests at services so long as they are more strict than those by Hillside.

As always, thank you for your cooperation as we forge forward and adjust our protocols as the pandemic evolves.

Kindly,

Rafael Ochoa, General Manager

Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary

As a reminder, below you will find all other protocols previously in place:

Families will now have the option of a Chapel or graveside service
Limits on service attendance will no longer be in place
Twenty chairs will be placed at graveside services
Families and Hillside staff may intermingle to act as Pall Bearers.
The family/Rabbi will have the option of when the casket will be placed in its resting place. This is a change from the previous protocol, which called for the immediate placement of the casket.
Limiting our scheduling to 3 Funeral Services each day, Sunday through Friday.
There is no limit to family members attending arrangements or other family meetings.
We have resumed meetings with “walk-in” families.
Again, these changes result from extensive conversations with leadership and guidance from our health agencies. We regularly review all protocols and will continue to make modifications that align with our goal of making Hillside as safe as possible for our staff, families, and visitors.

Protocols currently in place:

We continue to strive to provide the best service possible and appreciate your patience during these difficult times

As we continue to follow the developments around the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety of our families, staff, and visitors is of the utmost importance. Over the past months, we have made several adjustments to our operation to comply with recommendations and mandates from several local and state agencies. Under a recent order issued by the Los Angeles Department of Public Health and the California Department of Public Health, Hillside Memorial Park is implementing the following recommendations:

Families will now have the option of services in the Large Chapel, Small Chapel, or at the graveside.
Limits on Service attendance will no longer be in place.
Limiting our scheduling to 3 Funeral Services each day, Sunday through Friday.

In addition to the aforementioned information, we continue to uphold the following measures previously put into place:

Chairs for services will be placed 6 feet apart
Sharing of shovels for the placement of Earth is permitted. Still, families are asked to either use disposable gloves (available at the site) and/or sanitize their hands with hand sanitizer (available at the site) before use of the shovels.
Administration Lobby hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Maintaining our visiting hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

As we continue to see reports of improved statistics around COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, the leadership team has reviewed our current protocols, and I am happy to share that effective Wednesday, March 10, 2021, we are making the following changes to our service operations protocols:

Sharing shovels for placement of earth: Gloves are no longer required by family members to share a shovel. We will still have gloves available at the site and hand sanitizer for those who prefer one over the other.
Placement of casket at the site: Families/Rabbis will now be given the option of when they would like the casket placed in the site. This is a change from our prior protocol, which called for the immediate placement followed by the service.

Additionally, Hillside has previously implemented the following steps to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus and other infectious diseases:

Expanded our janitorial services to provide more frequent cleaning of public areas.
All Hillside restrooms continue to be stocked with sanitizing products, including soap and paper towels.
Hillside’s HVAC system utilizes high-grade filters that run throughout the day in our buildings, and chapels, in our efforts to reduce the number of contaminants and viruses floating through these areas.
We are practicing and encouraging social distancing.
Hillside continues to enforce our “If you are sick, stay home” policy.
Employees are asked to inform Human Resources if they are planning or have traveled to countries considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be high-risk areas for exposure to the coronavirus.
For out of state travel, employees should inform Human Resources prior to travel for the latest travel quarantine protocols
Deploy contingency plans in order to process filings of permits in response to the closure of in-person health department filings.
Working with our staff in order to accommodate any appropriate mandates and recommendations set forth by governing agencies.

We urge our staff, families, and visitors that while currently, we remain open for services and visitation, please continue to exercise personal sanitary and hygiene recommendations:

Always keep your face mask on unless you are outdoors and socially distanced (6 feet) from those not in your household.
Wash your hands often and for at least 20 seconds using soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Cough or sneeze into your flexed elbow or tissue and wash your hands immediately after.
Avoid touching your face.
Practice social distancing and maintain a personal distance of at least 6’.
If you are feeling sick, stay home.

Thank you all for your continued patience and support as we work together to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy.