Federal court backs California Gov. Gavin Newsom's orders keeping churches closed

[applegrove]

Federal court backs California Gov. Gavin Newsom's orders keeping churches closed

The governor's stay-at-home orders were issued on March 19.

By Bill Hutchinson - ABC News

24 May 2020, 12:28

https://abcnews.go.com/US/federal-court-backs-california-gov-gavin-newsoms-orders/story?id=70856597

"SNIP....


A federal appeals court has backed California Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order banning in-church services to blunt the spread of coronavirus, rejecting an argument from clerics that the governor is treading on their First Amendment right to free exercise of their religious beliefs.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a split 2-1 ruling denying the request for a temporary restraining order against Newsom's in-church service ban filed this month by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, California.

.....

"The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now, for this weekend. If they don't do it, I will override the governors," Trump said as his administration released detailed guidance on how religious institutions can safely reopen amid the virus that has killed nearly 100,000 people and infected more than 1.6 million in the United States. "In America we need more prayer, not less."

.....SNIP"

[katmondoo]

1. UPY, Don the Con

[Beartracks]

2. Churches can be "superspreading" events

From an article in the Salt Lake Tribune regarding "superspreading" events, linked at this DU thread: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213479869

========================
Church

On Tuesday, the CDC released a report about a rural Arkansas church. The pastor and his wife began feeling sick March 10 and 11 after hosting a three-day children’s event a few days earlier. The event included 1.5 to 2 hours of indoor church services on each day. The children also competed each day to collect offerings from adults. There was some singing, in which most children and some adults took part. On one day, the church hosted a buffet.

After an investigation, another husband and wife said they were symptomatic during the children’s event. On March 11, the church hosted a Bible study, though the pastor said people followed social distancing procedures.

In all, 92 people attended the church between March 6 and 11, and of the 45 tested, 35 became infected, seven were hospitalized, three died.

The Washington Post has a good review of what happened in a church in South Korea on a larger scale. Patient No. 31 in South Korea went to her Shincheonji church while sick, and a month later, the cluster had accounted for 5,080 cases, more than half that nation’s total. Wow.

Lessons:

• Churches can be the site of community-changing superspreading events.

• High-risk activities like singing and buffets may make church gatherings more dangerous.

========================

[applegrove]

3. Newsom cares. It is as simple as that.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. Good

[pecosbob]

5. I don't seem to recall authority in the Constitution for the move Gump has threatened

The Supreme Court could quite easily overturn the stay but Gump does not have the authority to tell the States to end their lockdown.