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Thursday, May 14, 2020

CDC Document Outlines Guidance for Reopening of Churches


The Story: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has compiled new “Interim Guidance for Communities of Faith” that outlines precautions churches may need to take when states lift their coronavirus restrictions.

The Background: The CDC’s document—which is not legally binding and has not been officially released yet—notes that the “guidance is not intended to infringe on First Amendment rights as provided in the US Constitution.” Neither the CDC nor any other federal government agency can prescribe standards for interactions of faith communities that are “more stringent than the mitigation strategies asked of similarly situated entities or activities in accordance with the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA).”

The CDC offers the following suggestions for consideration “to the extent consistent with each community’s faith tradition”.... Read More
An early version of this document recommended that churches do not use a common cup or chalice to administer the wine or unfermented grape juice at celebrations of the Lord's Supper since this method of delivering the wine or unfermented grape juice to communicants increased the risk of transmitting COVID-19 from one person to another. This was subsequently altered to a recommendation that congregations should not drink from the same cup. Note the CDC's recommendations for ventilating spaces used for in-person gatherings and for gathering outdoors. Since this document was compiled, research findings have linked singing and speaking loudly to the transmission of COVID-19. Churches that choose to reopen at this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic should restrict the number of people on the platform and separate them from each other and the congregation with plastic shields. 

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