Large drive-in church services banned in some Georgia counties as coronavirus spreads
Worshippers in parts of Georgia must stop attending large drive-in church services as the coronavirus spreads.
Dr. Thomas Craft, director of the South Central Health District, announced Thursday that drive-in gatherings are included in his area’s ban on groups of 10 people or more.
“Our only hope is that by practicing this and other social distancing measures set by our local government, we can safely return to our places of worship sooner rather than later,” Craft said in a statement posted to Twitter.
As coronavirus spreads, congregations across the country have made adjustments to allow members to stay in their cars. One Atlanta-area church introduced “Pull Up and Praise,” a worship service broadcast on the radio, WAGA reported.
“You can’t quarantine Jesus,” John Elmore III, lead pastor of The 3D Church, told the station.
The directive about drive-in services came from a health department in another part of the state, spanning 10 counties south and east of Macon.
As of Wednesday, the area reported nine cases of COVID-19. Health officials last week said it was possible some of Georgia’s cases were connected to houses of worship.
The announcement about drive-in services comes as experts recommend people practice social distancing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Last week, Georgia officials encouraged faith groups to meet in groups of fewer than 10 people, according to a post on Twitter. Governments in the state’s South Central Health District also put restrictions on funerals and weddings.
“We have recently learned that some churches are considering ‘drive-in’ services as a way of gathering their members together while thinking that they are adhering to the social distancing guidelines set by our local governments,” Craft said in his statement.
But the area has declared a state of emergency, meaning large congregations have to find other ways to meet, according to the health director.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
