More COVID-19 cases linked to California church services [View all]
Source: LA Times
More coronavirus infections have been tied to two Mother’s Day church services in Mendocino and Butte counties, officials announced this week.
That disclosure comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom is poised to provide plans for reopening California churches amid mounting pressure to allow in-person religious services both from protesters and President Trump, who is demanding that governors take action immediately.
Nine cases of COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus, are now linked to the May 10 service held by the Assembly of God in the Mendocino County city of Redwood Valley. The service was livestreamed to congregants and included singing, county public health officials said Friday.
Mendocino County health orders permit churches to produce events that are livestreamed or recorded, provided certain precautions are taken. They include specific measures to mitigate the risk associated with singing, which experts believe can spew viral particles into the air.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-24/more-coronavirus-cases-linked-to-california-church-services
This is why you can't just assume that COVID-19 only spreads in urban areas. Mendocino and Butte are two rural counties in California, and they are often the hub of a community. In South Korea, some of the early outbreaks were centered around churches.
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