Indiana’s new restrictions on gatherings will not apply to churches. Governor Eric Holcomb said Wednesday that churches will continue to be exempt as they were in the Back on Track plan, but he still urges congregations to take precautions.
“We do want to stress that this virus connects with people wherever they are when you let your guard down, and so, we want to make sure that when we do gather to receive the word – which I can think of few things more important – that we do it safely,” Holcomb said.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said she supports church services and public worship, but noted that contact tracers see spikes every Sunday, following church events. “So it is critical that individuals socially distance, that they wear their mask when we’re singing and we’re praising,” she said. “That even causes more dispersion of this virus, and it’s absolutely critical that individuals that are in that vulnerable population consider, if at all possible, doing this remotely.”
Box said she supported the St. Joseph County Health Department’s request that faith communities switch to online worship through next March, despite Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s claim that it was an abuse of power. “I made a direct call to the health officer in that county and 100-percent supported the letter that he sent cautioning churches about the risk because of the number of cases, outbreaks, and deaths we’ve seen associated with church services,” Box said. “So I supported that individual completely. I have been and our whole team has been supporting our local health officials and elected officials across the State of Indiana.”
Governor Holcomb noted that many church leaders have solid plans in place to keep their congregations safe, but a big concern is the informal gatherings that take place after the services.
