CDC Finds Coronavirus Outbreak Linked To Arkansas Church Amid Ongoing Concerns Over...

TOPLINE

A Centers for Disease Control study released Tuesday found that 38% of 92 attendees at events held at an Arkansas church in early March tested positive for Covid-19, underscoring the risks of public gatherings as states reopen.

A priest in Rome, Italy prepares to hold a service.

KEY FACTS

According to the study, 35 of the attendees tested positive for Covid-19, while three died; another 26 cases and one additional death were linked to the church’s outbreak.

The church’s pastor and his wife developed coronavirus symptoms and indefinitely closed the church on March 12.

Other outbreaks around the world have been linked to religious gatherings, with some religious leaders in the U.S. holding services in defiance of local or state orders.

In California, a congregant attending a Mother’s Day service tested positive⁠, potentially exposing 180 others in violation of county rules⁠, while a church in Texas shut its doors following the death of a priest and one in Georgia closed following an outbreak there.

Previously, federal judges in Kansas and Kentucky ruled against limits on religious gatherings implemented by governors concerned by the potential risk of disease transmission.

Other houses of worship have sat empty during the pandemic, perhaps most notably in St. Peter’s Basilica masses presided over by Pope Francis (which finally admitted mask-wearing congregants on Monday as Italy’s lockdown lifts).

Crucial quote

“Faith-based organizations should work with local health officials to determine how to implement the U.S. Government guidelines for modifying activities during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent transmission of the virus to their members and their communities,” recommended the CDC study.

Key background

The Arkansas church held multiple events between March 6 and March 8 before nationwide social distancing guidelines were implemented, including Bible study and a buffet-style meal, and children were present. The majority of the cases linked to the church were among people 19 years of age or older. Internationally, Covid-19 outbreaks have been traced to a secretive church in South Korea, ultra-Orthodox gatherings in Israel and pilgrims visiting Iran’s holy city of Qom, among other gatherings.