Courts Force Santa Clara County's Hand On Indoor Worship

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County worshippers hellbent on flouting the admonitions of health experts are now free to hold services indoors.

That’s according to county officials who said Monday night they will reluctantly comply with a federal court order allowing indoor worship at 20 percent capacity in a news release that all indications are they really didn’t want to write.

“The County Health Officer strongly discourages any indoor gatherings, including indoor worship services, given the current significant risk to the entire community from these gatherings,” the Public Health Department said in a statement.

“Religious institutions have successfully carried out alternatives to indoor worship services for months, and are encouraged to continue doing so to avoid putting their congregants and the community in danger.”

Santa Clara is believed to be the state’s last county to ban indoor worship, The Mercury News reports.

County officials had no choice in the matter.

The county had to amend its Health Order in response to a temporary order the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued Monday evening.

“We are disappointed by the temporary order of the federal district court,” County Counsel James R. Williams said in a statement.

“COVID-19 continues to pose a serious risk in our community, and unfortunately no court decision can decree otherwise. The County has consistently had a legal framework for its health orders that respects well-established constitutional precedent.”

Indoor worshipers will still be required to adhere to coronavirus guidelines requiring face coverings, social distancing, and the prohibition on singing and chanting indoors, county officials said.

All other indoor gatherings remain prohibited.

Correction: The headline on a previous version of this article incorrectly indicated that the state forced Santa Clara County to allow indoor worship. The county reversed course on allowing indoor worship in response to a federal court order.