Coronavirus: Texas Outlines Church Attendance Tips Amid Pandemic

AUSTIN, TX — Having deemed houses of worship to be "essential services" under current coronavirus guidelines aimed at physical distancing, state officials this week issued guidance on church attendance while being mindful of measures designed to blunt the potential spread of the illness.

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed church to be an essential service as part of his executive order, a move that relaxes rules related to limits on crowd sizes as a way to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. He also jump-started residential and commercial construction, categorizing the activities as "essential services" as well.

Because the virus is spread via respiratory droplets emitted by infected people through coughing or sneezing, political leaders have taken steps to limit outings as a way to promote social distancing — so-called "stay-at-home" orders — to curb the virus' spread. To that end, commerce across the United States has all but halted save for "essential services" that include grocery stores, pharmacies and financial institutions.

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The move to add churches to the "essential services" list is in keeping with Abbott's practice of intertwining policy with theological ideology resonating with his conservative base. In a previous order halting elective surgeries (ostensibly to make hospital space available for patients suffering from COVID-19), Abbott made sure to include abortion — anathema to his political party's conservative platform — as among the elective procedures temporarily banned.

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In the latest policy regarding churches — in spite of health officials' guidelines promoting physical distancing — Abbott was joined by Attorney General Ken Paxton in issuing "joint guidance" on attending religious services amid the pandemic.

“All Texans must work together to stop the spread of COVID-19, and houses of worship face a particular challenge as we work to combat this pandemic,” Paxton said in a prepared statement. “This guidance provides clear direction for houses of worship to protect the health and safety of Texans as they continue to hold religious services, exercise their religious liberty and serve their faith communities.”

The Executive Order GA 14 defines essential services to include “religious services conducted in churches, congregations, and houses of worship.” In a news advisory, officials said "orders given by state or local governments prohibiting people from providing or obtaining certain services must ensure that the orders do not violate the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, Article I of the Texas Constitution, and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which protect the rights of Texans to freely exercise their religion."

Read the joint guidance document here.

Even while encouraging attendance at houses of worship, the guidance defers to guidelines promoting physical distancing — a directive calling for a buffer of at least 6 feet between people to mitigate the potential spread of respiratory illness. "If a house of worship cannot conduct its activities remotely, then the White House and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines still control in order to stop the spread of coronavirus," the guidance documents reads.

In the event that houses of worship are unable to accommodate remote broadcasts as part of their services, the governor and attorney general outlined other measures that should be taken:

• Instruct sick employees, volunteers and guests to stay home.
• Practice social distancing by maintaining appropriate distance between people.
• Maintain good hygiene by washing your hands frequently, using hand sanitizer, using your elbow to cover coughs, and not touching your face.
• Clean and disinfect work areas frequently.

"Houses of worship, like providers of other essential services, are to follow additional
guidance from the White House and CDC whenever possible," the guidance reads.

Reigniting gatherings for worship services contradicts the governor's own previous order mandating that residents stay home to help mitigate the potential spread of respiratory illness. Abbott implemented the order on April 1.

"With COVID-19 spreading across Texas I issued this Executive Order that requires all Texans to stay at home except to provide essential services or do essential things like go to the grocery store," he said at the time. "Now I know this is a great sacrifice, and we must respond to this challenge with strength and with resolve. By following social distancing practices, we will slow the spread of COVID-19. We will save lives. And we will make it through this challenge together. Thank you, and God bless you all."

Abbott and Paxton directed residents to the Texas Department of State Health Services website for information on the spread of COVID-19.