Texas funeral homes are making less money during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite at least 27,000 COVID-19-related deaths statewide, because the services that drive their profits are less attractive to families worried about spreading the disease.

Texas has had over 1.5 million COVID-19 cases, including at least 50,000 in Travis County, where more than 500 people have died. Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and El Paso are experiencing some of the highest rates of positive cases in the state, according to the Texas Department of State and Human Services. Though Austin has not had a major increase in deaths, funeral homes in the city are experiencing the grueling effects of caring for families during the pandemic.