WESTMINSTER, Md. — The coronavirus pandemic is contributing to more people choosing to have cremations instead of funerals in Maryland and across the nation.

The Carroll County Times reported Thursday that Maryland’s cremation rate has gone from about 35% in 2010 to more than 50% in 2020.

A spokesman for the National Funeral Directors Association said the nation’s turn away from religion has helped fuel the number of cremations over the years.

But COVID-19 restrictions on funeral size and fear of the virus have also prompted many to opt for it.

Cremation can also be more flexible than an immediate burial with a viewing.