A nationwide resurgence of coronavirus cases has forced congregations to reconsider the resumption of their in-person services.
In Texas, where the most new cases of the virus have been confirmed, several churches are temporarily reclosing to stem the spread. St. Charles Borromeo, a Catholic church in Houston serving a mainly Spanish-speaking congregation, announced Tuesday that its pastor, who last celebrated Mass on Sunday, had contracted the disease.
“We are closing the church until further notice,” church leaders announced in a Facebook post, adding that anyone who experiences flu-like symptoms should get tested.
In Amarillo, city officials on Wednesday urged people to wear masks, noting that churches have been one of the areas where the disease spreads most easily. The caution comes as Gov. Greg Abbott announced this week that the virus’s “rampant” spread through the state will mean extra precautions as the Fourth of July approaches. Texas registered more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday.
At the same time, however, some churches in the state that have been closed since March say they can no longer wait on the virus. Catholic churches in Dallas are set to reopen this weekend amid widespread “clamoring” for public masses, according to a diocesan spokesperson. But, because of fears of a surge, all congregants will be required to wear masks, bring their own hand sanitizer, and space themselves a few rows apart while in church.
Church-centric outbreaks have been a source of fear throughout the entire pandemic. Officials in Union County, Oregon, determined this week that nearly 90% of the cases in the area could be linked to Lighthouse Pentecostal Church, which experienced an outbreak in late May.
The church, like many flouting coronavirus restrictions, held services throughout late May and June where hundreds of people attended and did not practice social distancing. It also hosted a high school graduation ceremony where attendees celebrated in close quarters. Although more than 230 cases have been linked to the church, it is unclear whether or not it has suspended its in-person services, according to an investigation conducted by the Oregonian.
Churches in other states have been more straightforward in their efforts to tamp down the virus’s spread. In Noel, a town in rural Missouri, more than 500 cases have been registered since the beginning of June. Their origin is unclear, but the dramatic increase has forced the Baptist Community Church to close Wednesday, after its pastor, Joshua Manning, contracted symptoms of the disease.
“We did all the things we were supposed to do,” Manning told the Associated Press. “We shut down for two months. But the cases have just started to sprout up.”
In Greenbrier, West Virginia, the pastor of a church that in the past week has been linked to more than 40 cases in the area said that reopening without strict adherence to social distancing guidelines was a “mistake.”
Youel Altizer, pastor of the Graystone Baptist Church, told the Beckley Register-Herald that although he believed the outbreak in his church was an “attack of the devil,” his congregation’s refusal to wear masks and refrain from shaking hands didn’t help.
“We made a few mistakes, and as far as the masks go, we slacked up on that,” he said. “We could have done better.”
