n class="init-cap">Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, a number of religious institutions have defied recommended health and safety orders. Some churches refused to close their doors. Schools like the evangelical Liberty University wanted to keep holding in-person instruction. In Brooklyn, members of the Haredi Jewish community continued to hold large weddings in March, even as the virus spiked in New York. These stories were soon followed by accounts of congregants and religious leaders dying of the disease. As states have begun to reopen, including easing restrictions on in-person religious meetings, dangerous efforts persist to defy public health measures, such as not mandating masks during worship, allowing congregants to hug or sing, and refusing to assist in contact tracing after an outbreak.Read Full Article »
