1,270. A Burial Delayed by Civil Law

196:20 In a place where it's against the law to bury the deceased for 48 hours, the laws of an onen still apply to the relatives. This is because once the time has passed, they will certainly bury the deceased. In the interim, they must occupy themselves with the honor of the deceased, preparing the burial shroud and the coffin, and notifying people. On the second day of yom tov, one should act leniently and exempt the relatives from the status of an onen since it's impossible for them to bury the deceased on that day thanks to the secular law.

196:21 In such a place, because of a concern that they might not find people to perform the purification of the deceased when they're ready for them, the body should be prepared immediately after death, then placed in a coffin with holes below. After placing the deceased in the coffin, the relatives are exempt from onen status and subject to the laws of mourners. In any event, they start shiva from when the body in covered in the grave.