My state is making it possible to implement vaccinated sections in places like churches and arenas, in which people don’t have to be distanced, and may not have to be masked. Can you set up a vaccinated section, where if people verify they’ve been vaccinated, they can be masked or unmasked, and perhaps not have to be distanced?
Outside of that section, masks and distancing required.
I’m sure the funeral home will follow state and local regulations.
The church will do the same, and additionally will comply with whatever the policy is of the Diocese of Brooklyn is at that time.
I’m just afraid this sibling will decide this is the moment to make a point and stand up for his “rights” and all that crap.
Hopefully not. But knowing him, there’s a chance he will.
I would talk with the funeral home and with the priest well in advance and see if they can give you some guidance.
Bringing a gun to Dad’s wake?!? Waht ?!?
My brother’s mother-in-law passed last summer, and they had a socially distanced funeral, with limited attendees. And of course that was well before vaccines.
Gun nut. He often carries a concealed handgun, even though he has no reason whatsoever to need a gun. What I can I tell you. I have a vague impression that you’re Canadian, and thus not plagued by the gun fundies. Or at least not nearly as many of them.
He can bring it to the wake, I really don’t care. There will probably be a bunch of retired cops there, some of them may or may not have guns with them. I’d rather he didn’t bring it to the Mass. Even the retired cops in the family don’t bring guns to church.
Does he have a concealed carry permit for the county the wake will be in? From what I’ve read CC permits are hard to get in NY and are good only for that county. NY also does not honor or have reciprocity with other states, so he could be at some risk of running afoul of NY law.
I’m sorry you have to worry about either of these things. I think you can trust the funeral director to follow your wishes as well as the public health recommendations in force at the time. If your brother is unvaccinated but other mourners are, he is really only risking himself, as infuriating as it is.
Having lived in Boston for a dozen years I have no doubt the priest can easily handle it if your brother tries to be obnoxious about either thing at the Mass. Alert him ahead of time and ask for support.
OK, I can see him insisting on not wearing a mask. Its just outrageous that in 2021 you have to feel trepidation about making the seemingly reasonable request he doesn’t bring a loaded handgun to a funeral. I feel sympathy for you over this.
He does. He’s 100% legal.
I’m at the point where I’m more worried about the mask/vaccination stuff. The gun, if he’s carrying it the, will be out of sight. Whatever, I don’t care anymore.
People are selling yellow stars of David that say “Not Vaccinated” that covidiots can pin to their shirts.
Maybe you already planned to do this, but why not talk to him in advance & tell him your decision (which seems to be that he must wear a mask to attend). That would at least give him time to think about his reaction and maybe come to terms before he creates a nightmare at the wake/funeral. This is not something he should find out at the door. He may never consider he’ll be barred since most others will be vaccinated, etc. Can he be offered a chance to say goodbye privately before/after the funeral so he’s not exposing others. Then you’re accommodating him so far as possible without risking others. Of course, you still need to worry that others may show up with no mask, so a policy still needs to be in place.
On the gun issue, tell him no open carry. Then you won’t know he has it and it’s not a concern.
I’m quite sure my husband was carrying a weapon when he got COVID. Which he did by not getting vaccinated and refusing to wear a mask or consider social distancing. Currently, he’s sleeping on the recliner, just like he has been doing for the last 12 days. (Well, he does move into the bedroom when I start shutting lights off, but still…)
Why didn’t he shoot the covids?
Just curious - do you think he finds any significance in the fact that you got vaccinated and you didn’t get sick, despite your living in close contact with his illness? Or is he just too stubborn for that?
I’ll take door number 2, please.
Also, he’s been sleeping at least 20 hours a day and hasn’t seemed too with it when he’s awake. I doubt he has even thought about why he’s sick.
Fingers crossed he comes out of it okay!
Mine, too, and I hope it motivates him to get vaccinated. Even if you’ve previously had Covid, a vaccination is still recommended.
Yes, this is the sensible way to go. And actually another sibling is going to talk to him about it. Hopefully he (the anti-vaxxer) will see reason
As to the gun thing, I think it’s probably best for me to forget about that. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. He is legally permitted to carry a concealed weapon. There’s no reason on earth for him to do so, but he does have all the necessary permits. And he won’t being carrying it openly – that just doesn’t happen in New York City. And for the funeral, in church, I’m going to go with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
I’ve decided that this sibling can do what he wants, as long as he’s in compliance with relevant rules and polices of the funeral home, the church, and the City and State of New York.
Thanks, everyone, for letting me complain for a while.
My sister and her husband just returned from vacation. They drove through South Dakota, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa.
This morning, BIL asked me to order something for him online. No problem. Then: “For some reason your sister is going to self-quarantine for ten days, so I’ll bring money over Tuesday.”
No. That’s okay, I can wait.
According to my sister, they had to have a few discussions about mask wearing. He believes because he is vaccinated, he’s impervious to becoming ill, so rarely wore one the whole vacation. The 60 year old smoking asthmatic.
An all-RedState, all small town vacation. Not much chance to encounter the proudly unvaxxed infected there. 
I have one word for you: Zelle. Bits don’t carry COVID.
He’s not crazy in thinking that; incautious perhaps but not crazy. But he’s already demonstrated he’s not great at personal health risk assessment, so there is that.
Profile pictures include ‘I don’t care if you’ve had your vaccine’ and ‘I have an immune system’.