> which has been used for more than 150 years by city officials as a mass burial site for those with no next-of-kin, or families who cannot afford funerals.

Interesting. Good to know and also not the impression I got from just "mass burials".

> Normally, about 25 bodies a week are interred on the island, according to the Associated Press news agency. But burial operations have increased from one day a week to five days a week, with around 24 burials each day

> It is not clear how many of the dead have no next-of-kin or could not afford a funeral.

That's a pretty important question to answer. Any idea?

And that was early enough in understanding COVID that it would make sense to do this kind of small mass burial with hazmat suits even if the death rate was unchanged.

> The drone footage comes from Hart Island, off the Bronx in Long Island Sound, which has been used for more than 150 years by city officials as a mass burial site for those with no next-of-kin, or families who cannot afford funerals.

> Normally, about 25 bodies a week are interred on the island, according to the Associated Press news agency.

> But burial operations have increased from one day a week to five days a week, with around 24 burials each day, said Department of Correction spokesman Jason Kersten.

They always did mass burials at this site. It just increased velocity during COVID. Mass burials did not start because of COVID.