(ChurchLeaders) Based on recent Supreme Court decisions in favor of churches and religious freedom, Los Angeles County has lifted a ban on indoor worship. A revised public health order states that both indoor and outdoor services are permitted as long as attendees practice “strict physical distancing” and wear face coverings. Such protocols can “lower the risk” of COVID-19 transmission but won’t “eliminate” risk, the county warns, adding that outdoor worship is still preferable.
Due to “an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths,” county officials state, “every effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to congregants and to the entire community is critical.” In Southern California, currently the epicenter of America’s battle against coronavirus, intensive care units are full. The average daily infection rate in L.A. County alone is 13,000. Hospitals are “getting crushed,” says Dr. Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this.”