Coronavirus pandemic: People clamor to buy gravesites near buried stars at Hollywood Forever Cemetery for $19K
After the World Health Organization declared coronavirus to be a global pandemic, the hysteria surrounding the virus has doubled to the point where people in the United States are clamoring to book gravesites in the cemetery of their choice.
And one of the most sought after places to be buried, in case the coronavirus claims one's life, is the Hollywood Forever Cemetery because the place hosts the dead bodies of more than 200 celebrities including legends like Judy Garland and Johnny Ramone.
According to TMZ, death-obsessed potential customers have approached the management of the cemetery to try and book gravesites near the resting places of famous celebrities -- regardless of whether they have contracted the virus or not.
“Never seen anything like this before. It’s crazy,” co-founder Yogu Kanthiah told the publication. “It’s similar to people going to Costco -- they don’t need all the toilet paper and sanitizer, but they’re buying it anyway."
But rest assured, the desire to be buried near some well-known personality does not come anywhere near as cheap as stocking up on hand sanitizers or extra rolls of toilet paper. Living or dead, one is expected to dish out around $7,000 for a spot in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. However, if one wants a prime spot on the lakeside property, named Garden of Legends, which is the VIP section of the place, it would cost one $19,000.
Also, any new customer vying for a gravesite in close proximity to the eminent celebrities in the cemetery might have to face disappointment as they have already been booked by people, long before the coronavirus outbreak.
The mad rush to book gravesite spots is despite the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has time and again reminded people that getting diagnosed with coronavirus does not automatically mean certain death or even close to it.
People who are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness include older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, according to the CDC.