Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Floridians to avoid “packed” in-person services during the coronavirus pandemic ahead of a big week of religious holidays.
“We want people during this time to be spiritually together, but to remain socially distant,” the Florida Republican said Monday. “Please keep God close, but please keep COVID-19 away.”
DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order last week after being criticized for not shutting down the state sooner. His order exempted religious services, which has resulted in some churches continuing in-person services.
His warning comes the same week as Holy Week for Christians, starting with Palm Sunday and ending the following Sunday with Easter. Traditionally, Christians attend several religious services during Holy Week, which could propel the spread in Florida if people do not heed DeSantis’s advice. This week also marks the beginning of Passover, a Jewish holiday.
The governor justified the continuation of in-person religious services by saying churchgoers needed to “spread out far enough.”
Churches in other states, which have clamped down on large in-person gatherings, have started to hold drive-in services during the coronavirus pandemic.
