The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) has reversed its ban on indoor religious services following a Supreme Court ruling.
On Dec. 3, the United States Supreme Court sided with a Pasadena church challenging California Governor Gavin Newsom’s ban on indoor religious services.
Supreme Court justices ordered a lower federal court to reexamine California restrictions on indoor religious services after a challenge by Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church Inc. and Harvest International Ministries Inc., which have over 160 churches across the state.
Justices directed the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider their ruling in light of the Nov. 25 Supreme Court decision which ruled in favor of churches and synagogues that challenged New York state restrictions on indoor services.
“This is great news, we want to continue to provide the safest spaces for our members. Currently, we are offering outdoor and online services, but want to expand our services when it is safe to do so,” said Rusty George, lead pastor at Real Life Church in Santa Clarita in a previous story.
Saturday, Dec. 19, LADPH reversed its ruling that Los Angeles County religious services were not allowed to be held indoors. This decision comes on the heels of one of the most widespread COVID-19 spikes in the county.
More than 600,000 total COVID-19 cases have been reported in Los Angeles County since testing began in March, with nearly 100,000 of those cases being reported in the past week alone.
See More: L.A. County Surpasses 600,000 Total COVID-19 Cases
“Places of worship are permitted to offer faith-based services both indoors and outdoors with mandatory physical distancing and face coverings over both the nose and mouth that must be worn at all times while on site,” reads a statement released by LADPH Saturday.
LADPH also asks places of worship must also assure that attendance does not exceed the number of people who can be accommodated while maintaining a physical distance of six feet between separate households.
“Public Health strongly recommends that places of worship continue to hold services outdoors, with physical distancing and the use of face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to congregants and to the entire community,” reads the statement. “Because Los Angeles County is experiencing an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, every effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to congregants and to the entire community is critical.”
See All Coronavirus Coverage: Coronavirus Coverage – COVID-19 Map
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