Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
When And How To Resume Church Services Remain Tough Questions
Crowded bars and house parties have been identified as culprits in spreading the coronavirus. Meat packing plants, prisons and nursing homes are known hot spots. Then there’s the complicated case of America’s churches. The vast majority of these churches have cooperated with health authorities and successfully protected their congregations. Yet from the earliest phases of the pandemic, and continuing to this day, some worship services and other religious activities have been identified as sources of local outbreaks. (Crary, 7/12)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has asked all its members in Utah to wear face coverings when in public, a request that comes as confirmed infections in the state increase. The Deseret News reports that the Utah Area Presidency sent out the request in an email on Friday evening. (7/11)
Some churches are working to stop the epidemic, including offering testing to congregations --
Amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in South Carolina, PBS NewsHour Weekend visits a mobile testing site in Orangeburg County. Organized by the statewide chapter of the African Methodist Espicopal - or AME - churches, it was one of dozens of pop-up testing sites around the state this week to help increase coronavirus testing. (Weber and Sreenivasan, 7/11)
