In late May, President Donald Trump declared churches to be essential and said they should be allowed to reopen as long as they adhere to the CDC's health guidelines.
The study found that 99% of the churches that have reopened to meet physically indoors are taking health and safety precautions. Following Gov. Doug Duy's March 26 executive order all businesses, organizations, and venues that draw public crowds, including churches closed their doors.
To decrease the COVID-19 health crisis, social distancing in churches was shown to appear. Obviously, with safety measures, Christians have been wearing masks and socially distancing themselves from others they were surrounded by.
"While more and more churches have resumed in-person worship services, it has not always been a straight path back."
"Some have had difficulty resuming or had to stop meeting again as things got worse in their area."
According to the reports, nearly 60% of churches meeting in-person have "recommended" masks, but only about 35% "required" attendees to wear them. And more than 20% of churches have reopened added services to allow people to spread out more, and 18% provided additional viewing rooms to do so. Some churches also conducted temperature checks of staff and volunteers (21%), and some checked temperatures of all attendees (14%), the survey found.
"Resuming in-person worship services has not been reverting to worship as usual."
"Churches are making efforts to make the environment safe, but these efforts are often second-guessed by those who either want more precautions or fewer restrictions."
Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church announced that his church would continue to hold in-person services despite the restrictions. Others, including Harvest Christian Fellowship, have chosen to hold their services outdoors in accordance with the order.
