Due to the outbreak of Coronavirus and the restrictions imposed on the city to avoid crowds, it is not possible to provide emotional support to relatives and acquaintances of bereaved families, who were usually physically present to comfort the bereaved. Accordingly, we are faced with the situation of disturbed mourning or incomplete mourning/ Intervention in psychological crises is a definite approach to help reduce the intensity of agitation and helplessness caused by all kinds of disasters and crises. In the meantime, forming support teams in urban management and at the neighborhood level will be very helpful in facilitating the provision of services to vulnerable people.

The rituals of death and mourning, which are being held with many defects today due to the global crisis of the Corona epidemic, are among the most important rituals that have severely disrupted the social order these days. For this reason, we are faced with the situation of disturbed mourning or incomplete mourning, which will certainly have many irreparable consequences for the members of the bereaved families. According to the death rate in Tehran, it is estimated that about 13,000 to 15,000 families have not been able to hold mourning ceremonies in person since March (Esfand). Using the existing capacities and experiences, the city administration made every effort to facilitate the holding of virtual mourning ceremonies in order to reduce the volume of depression, anger, sadness, loneliness, and its consequences in the society in the coming days.

To this end, the city administration, while forming a "mourning social and psychological intervention working group" and enumerating effective psychosocial interventions based on the needs assessment of beneficiaries, inserted the support of the holding of mourning ceremonies for the deceased and the mourning family in the context of the prevalence of Coronavirus called "online mourning"  in the agenda (By using the physical capacities of Tehran).

Dr. Javadi Yeganeh, Deputy of Social and Cultural Affairs of Tehran Municipality, stated the following on Twitter: The impossibility of mass mourning is part of the reality of the lives of people who have lost their loved ones. Tehran Municipality is trying to promote the mental and social health of the mourners, raise awareness and promote empathetic behaviors with the families of the deceased. The initiative aimed to reduce pain and alleviate the grief of the families of the deceased.

By studying the lived experience of mourners during the Corona epidemic, the effect of these exceptional conditions on the mourning method and the obstacles it creates along the way was examined and practical information was provided for the intervention facilities to facilitate the mourning period. Based on an in-depth interview and the needs of the target group, four main strategies and interventions were planned to implement the plan. These four strategies are:

1) Sensitizing and informing about issues such as the grief of the bereaved family and feeling neglected in the past, as well as promoting ways to use social media and other innovative ways to hold funerals and condolences to bereaved families.

2) Training of health personnel, psychological counsellors, Behesht-e Zahra personnel, organizational experts and managers, mosque personnel and possibly managers of reception halls, and neighborhood-based managers and volunteers regarding the approach, the sensitivities of the mourners, the observance of the health requirements to prevent transmission, and the method of providing services.

3) Neighborhood-based services provided with the support of the municipality and the efforts of local volunteer forces, with an emphasis on empathy and social support skills, as well as the need to respect the privacy of the bereaved family, and inform them of services and their appropriate supply at the family's request.

4) Attracting the cooperation of other parts of Tehran Municipality that are in contact with the issue of mourning and other governmental and non-governmental institutions that have the possibility of intervention and cooperation in this matter. Also, after the ceremonies, the deceased's family was surveyed online (online mourning).

Online mourning was found to be an alternative to mourning ceremonies for the families of the deceased in the event of the Coronavirus outbreak, in order to reduce the psychological pressures caused by the loss of loved ones, prevent post-mortem psychological damage, avoid the spread of coronavirus and pay attention to and support the mourning citizens in the neighborhood. Lifestyles seems to be changing in the wake of the Corona outbreak and this change can have positive and negative effects post-COVID-19.

The initiative achieved empathy and the promotion of the mental health among the citizens of Tehran.