Coronavirus: NY Allowing Small Religious Ceremonies To Resume

NEW YORK, NY — New York is allowing religious groups to resume having small gatherings, as well as drive-in and parking lot services as the state continues to see a slowing spread of the coronavirus.

Churches, synagogues, mosques and more will be allowed to have gatherings of up to 10 people statewide, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. The order is effective immediately, he said. Strict social distancing measures will continue to be enforced and all participants must wear masks. Additionally, drive-in and parking lot services will also be allowed beginning Thursday.

Cuomo also announced that an Interfaith Advisory Council will discuss ways to bring back religious services safely. He said that people can find religious ceremonies comforting at a time when they're feeling stressed, anxious and confused.

"As a former altar boy, I get it," he said, referring to the desire for ceremonies to resume.

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The governor stressed the need to avoid repeating past mistakes, specifically pointing to a cluster of cases that broke out in New Rochelle in the early days of the virus outbreak in New York. The last thing the state wants to see is an increase in infections, he said.

The number of New Yorkers who died from the COVID-19 disease ticked up to 112 on Tuesday, including 82 in hospitals and 30 in nursing homes. The number of new, daily hospitalizations, meanwhile, fell below 300 for the first time since mid-March.

Cuomo repeated his call to New Yorkers to wear a mask in public as his daughter announced the five finalists for a statewide mask-wearing advertising campaign.

The state asked residents to help educate others about the importance of wearing a mask to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Health Department collected more than 600 submissions across the state as part of the "Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest," and is now putting the finalists up for an online vote. Voting closes May 25 and the winners will be announced May 26.

"The masks work," Cuomo said. "They are protective and they work."

At his daily briefing, the governor shared more results from a statewide survey of about 8,000 people at church sites to see where the coronavirus is affecting communities most. Data showed low-income and minority communities have been hit harder by infections than health care workers and first responders, as well as the general population.

The results showed a staggering discrepancy in certain neighborhoods in the Bronx. Low-income and minority neighborhoods make up most of the new COVID-19 cases, Cuomo said. The trend will extend far beyond New York City — across the state and nation.

In response to the data, Cuomo has directed all local governments to test in low-income communities and develop outreach programs. Testing will be doubled at 44 churches in those areas and the state is partnering with SOMOS Community Care to establish 28 testing sites at churches and community-based providers in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Furthermore, testing will be expanded from eight to 40 public housing developments. These areas will also be given more personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer, and officials will expand educational outreach efforts.