CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Death may be one of the few constants in life, but death certificates are currently on hold in Cook County.
Employees of the Vital Records Office at the Cook County Clerk's Office are working from home; and even though death certificates can be processed online and are being sent out by other counties in Illinois and across the country, Cook County is not for the time being.
A spokesperson for the Cook County Clerk's Office told CBS 2 that the process isn’t fully automated. Death certificates have to be printed on special security paper, which limits their ability to print the records from home.
Wendy Habel's mother died last month. She needs the death certificate to get her mom's affairs in order. She said it has been frustrating.
Rick Conneely, whose mother passed away in March, said he, too, is still waiting on the death certificate.
"We got the order. Got the confirmation. Five days later got the cancellations,” Conneely said.
Death certificates are mandatory for banks, courts, or anything having to do with their loved ones’ belongings.
The Clerk's Office said it is working on new protocols to expidiete urgent records requests, like death certificates, and they should be ready to go in a couple of weeks.