Kentucky is requiring 14 days quarantine for Easter mass attendees who do not stay home from church
- Religious leaders around the world are encouraging people to celebrate Easter and Passover at home this year, maintaining physical distance from others, to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
- In Kentucky, the governor says anyone who does not stay home and instead goes to church this weekend will be subject to a 14-day self-quarantine.
- Religious gatherings have already been tied to several deadly coronavirus outbreaks around the world, from Kentucky to South Korea.
- The coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets, which are easily shared by people sitting near each other at church.
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Faith leaders around the world are encouraging their congregations to stay home this weekend, recommending people celebrate Easter and Passover virtually during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I want to encourage you to meet together separately this Sunday, to remind you that on that first Easter Jesus came to people behind locked doors," Chris Michael, pastor of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Owensboro, Kentucky, said on Friday. "He will come to you as well."
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that anyone in his state who goes to church this weekend, in violation of the state's stay-at-home order, will be subject to a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine.
State police will be recording the license plates of any cars seen at gatherings, then contacting the people who are associated with those cars and notifying them of the two-week rule.
"This is the only way we can ensure that your decision doesn't kill someone else," Beshear said. "What we're asking is for you to love your neighbor as yourself."
Beshear said state officials are aware of about half a dozen churches that are planning to hold services this weekend, in spite of Kentucky's state of emergency order.
Faith gatherings have been linked to several deadly coronavirus outbreaks around the world already.
In Kentucky, a single church gathering in mid-March was linked to 54 coronavirus cases in that state, and six deaths so far.
In South Korea, a single doomsday church in the city of Daegu was tied to the majority of that country's COVID-19 cases in February.
And last month in Washington, a two and a half hour church choir practice, where singers kept a safe distance while they sang, sickened at least 45 people with coronavirus symptoms, the Los Angeles Times reported. Two of those singers are now dead.
The World Health Organization recommends congregations meet virtually
Because the novel coronavirus is spread mainly through close contact between individuals, the most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19 in a community is to keep its people apart.
The World Health Organization released new guidance Thursday suggesting the faithful should avoid large gatherings, and instead of heading to churches, synagogues, and mosques, conduct "rituals and faith-related activities remotely/virtually."
At the Vatican, Pope Francis will preside over Easter mass without a congregation on Sunday.
Instead of meeting up in person, many Jews also celebrated the beginning of Passover this past week with virtual Seders, sharing family meals over screens.
Where religious gatherings are planned, the WHO suggests holding them outside, if possible, and always maintaining at least three feet of distance between people, avoiding any of the usual close contact that might be part of services (like handshakes and hugs), and refraining from kissing or touching any devotional objects.
Almost all Americans are under some form of lockdown this week, to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, as public health experts have stressed that this will likely be one of the most deadly and virulent weeks for the coronavirus across the country.
On Friday, the US logged more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities any country has recorded in a single day.
That same day, President Trump announced that he'll be starting up a new task force next week, dedicated to re-opening the country.
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