‘Spiritually close but socially distant’: Gov. DeSantis hosannas in-person Easter worship
Safer at home ... unless going to church.

safer at home
Is coronavirus agnostic? Time will tell.

For those looking for a church or synagogue service on this Holy weekend, the Governor re-upped his blessing Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, in preamble remarks to a COVID-19 Education Meeting, again sided with those who want to attend church over those who worry that the Sabbath could beget super spreaders.

“We have said repeatedly that we want people to be spiritually together, but socially distanced,” the first-term Republican said in the Cabinet room at the state Capitol.

“As you keep God close,” DeSantis advised, “during these important religious days, make sure you continue to keep COVID-19 away.”

Thursday’s words, issued without prompting from a member of the media, reaffirmed guidance the Governor had given last week exempting churches, synagogues, and other places of worship.

DeSantis issued a new order clarifying and amending the original one last week following reports, including one from Florida Politics, that local ordinances with more restrictive language would not be preempted.

That specifically pertains to a religious exemption that allows churches to continue holding services even if those congregations exceed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guideline on social distancing that limits gatherings to 10 or fewer individuals.

DeSantis’ updated order removes language that provided an exception for local ordinances that went beyond the state order.

Those more restrictive local measures, which have been approved in a host of Florida cities and counties, will no longer be valid.

That includes restrictions on church services.

Whether religious observances stand in the way of flattening the curve remains to be seen, evidence from elsewhere suggests that churches can be consecratory crucibles of community spread.

In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly told media Wednesday that churches had contributed to multiple clusters of COVID-19 positivity.

Kansas City’s KCTV noted that a Church of God conference in that city led to 18 attendees being hospitalized, with three of them passing away from the disease.

___

Florida Politics’ Janelle Irwin Taylor contributed to this post.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


2 comments

  • Susan McCullough

    April 9, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    This is irresponsible and dangerous! Please find a church service that us streaming live on Facebook or other means. Corona virus spreads from person to person. I do not comprehend why Governor Dessntis dies not respect scientific facts.

  • Lisa Martell

    April 11, 2020 at 12:41 am

    While not what the Governor meant to say, if you read these words, they are perfectly clear.

    “As you keep God close,” DeSantis advised, “during these important religious days, make sure you continue to keep COVID-19 away.”

    * The first Easter was spent quietly in prayer and contemplation.
    * A house of worship is simply a house. Nothing more.

    Get Easter take out dinner or shop and cook. Keep only those family and/or friends
    you are distancing with in your day.
    Use all of the online ways to watch Easter services from home. Make your home your house of worship. Include other friends and family via cellphone, Skype and other online video chat apps.
    Stay home this weekend. Make your house, a house of worship. Keep covid-19 away.

    This year,the holiest and most selfless things that any person of faith can do at this time is to celebrate Easter as if it’s the first.

Comments are closed.


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