Community Corner
'No' To Drive In Church Services: GA Health Department
The Georgia Department of Public Health is warning churches that drive-in services don't meet local guidelines that limit social gatherings.
GEORGIA — The ban on large gatherings due to the risk of the coronavirus has impacted more than restaurants, conferences and bars. Churches have also been included. Many have gotten creative and started holding “drive-in” church services as a way to still worship. The Georgia Department of Health is saying that’s not allowed either.
Local churches are being warned that those services do not meet the social distancing requirements, reports the Georgia Sun.
“While we understand the desire of local churches to gather in worship, we encourage our churches to please strictly abide by local guidelines that limit social gatherings,” said Dr. Thomas E. Craft, the South Central Health District's health director.
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“Many of the large outbreaks occurring across our nation and state are directly linked to places of worship and similar gatherings.”
The coronavirus spread through a church in Bartow County, according to the news outlet. Bartow and the City of Cartersville ordered an Emergency shelter-in-place that takes effect at 5 p.m. Friday.
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A church in Columbus gathered Sunday for service despite the restrictions, reports WTVM.
Pastor Colley Williams of New Covenant Church held a drive-in service in the church’s parking lot. About 20 parishioners attended, according to the news outlet.
“I just love the way that we can come together as a church in our cars,” Williams said. “I thought it was a crazy idea at first, but after I got to talking with my bishop, [he] said no, that's the smartest thing I've heard yet."
Other churches are keeping everything virtual by utilizing live stream options and YouTube. Online children’s church lessons in Marietta are being offered at St. James Episcopal Church. Peace Baptist Church in Decatur has resorted to streaming online for the time-being.
Globally, more than 553,000 people have been infected and more than 25,000 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Friday. Of that total, more than 86,000 confirmed cases were in the United States, surpassing China who had the highest cases since it originated. There have been close to 1,300 U.S. deaths tied to the virus outbreak. As of Friday afternoon, there have been 64 deaths in Georgia due to the coronavirus.
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