ARE WORSHIPPERS GUINEA PIGS FOR STATE?When Gov. Eric Holcomb last week announced his plan for reopening Indiana businesses and facilities in stages, one group of institutions was given more leniency than others – houses of worship
The governor said all houses of worship can resume hosting normal services, statewide, even in counties where other restrictions remain in place.
And he said they will be a good “control group” to test how the coronavirus plan is working out over the next two to three weeks.
Holcomb said he is allowing churches, synagogues and mosques to open first because their leaders will be likely to look after their flocks, and follow reopening and COVID-19 safety measures.
"What we're going to do is learn from these steps that we're taking. We just thought a good place to start, or a good place to have a test or a control group, would be houses of worship," Holcomb said during a press conference last week.
"If we can manage this, this gives us a lot of confidence in some other arenas as well."
The state is recommending families be seated 6 feet apart during religious services; that hand sanitizer be made easily available; that masks be worn during services; that commonly touched surfaces be disinfected regularly; and that person-to-person contact be avoided.
Holcomb's plan also recommends that parishioners over the age of 65, and those with underlying health conditions, avoid attending in person, and continue to watch online.
However, he said those recommendations and not regulations.
"When it came down to making the ultimate decision on places of worship, we said going forward that we would recommend allowing this now to see, as we look back 14 days or 21 days in terms of houses of worship, what effect it might have," Holcomb said.
And while stores, restaurants and other businesses that reopen will be limited to 50 percent capacity, no limit was placed on the number who can attend religious services if the guidelines are followed.
The governor has said the plan for reopening was fluid, and could change depending on the number of new COVID-19 cases at the end of May, and the accessibility of ICU beds and ventilators.
Those numbers will show whether the guidelines are being adhered to, and whether the plan to further ease restrictions in June can proceed.
"People in our state, 6.7 million Hoosiers, will determine where we are in July and in June," Holcomb said. "The brunt of the responsibility falls on me and you. We'll have the most impact on where we are and how the virus spreads."
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