More than 1,000 California pastors are planning to resume in-person services.
A group of California religious leaders say they’ll reopen their places of worship by May 31. As many as 3,000 sites could be involved.
Governor Newsom said Monday that religious institutions may be allowed to reopen within weeks.
Attorney Robert Tyler, who represents the churches, says that plan is unfair because other businesses are already open.
“There’s something really wrong when a church is not deemed essential by the government,” Tyler said.
This week, the federal Justice Department told Newsom that his plan violates civil rights protections, by placing an unfair burden on churches.
Several churches have also sued California over their closures. A federal judge ruled in one case that the state can ban religious services for public health reasons.
Meanwhile, a Butte County resident tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an in-person service on Mother’s Day with nearly 200 people.
