By Joshua Huff, sports editor
MONTGOMERY — Alabama churches will reopen in a gradual process and the state will follow guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rev. Jay Wolf said on Tuesday during Gov. Kay Ivey’s press conference.
That means that houses of worship are ordered to prohibit group worship until further notice, Wolf said. The decision is based upon recommendations from a team of ministers, lay leaders and medical personnel.
“The process for reopening churches for large, in-person gatherings must proceed gradually and in a measured fashion because COVID-19 has proven to be a highly contagious and dangerous enemy,” Wolf said. “We must reopen in a way that does not inadvertently facilitate an outbreak of this virus. Many sad stories from other states have emerged where COVID-19 has spread through a congregation, even taking the lives of pastors and created community outbreaks.”
The CDC has compiled what is being termed as “decision trees” for seven organizations: schools, camps, childcare centers, religious facilities, mass transit systems, workplaces, and bars/restaurants. This follows a vague three-phase reopening plan that called for different organizations to have staggered openings.
The White House and the CDC’s reopening plans are simply recommendations. Under the “decision tree” guidance, churches are asked to hold services through video streaming or at drive-in or outdoor venues as much as possible. They should also encourage everyone to wear cloth face masks, use a stationary collection box and schedule extra services if necessary to make sure church pews are not packed and congregants stay at least 6 feet apart when they eventually reopen.
The guidance also calls for religious groups to provide congregants spiritual and emotional care on a flexible or virtual basis. Wolf added that churches should continue to provide drive-up services, which have proven to be highly successful.
“At this time, Alabama does not meet the criteria proposed by the CDC for reopening houses of worship for large, in-person gatherings,” Wolf said. “Reopening our places of worship will be a process, not an event. According to the CDC, as the number of infections go down, then the number of people who can safely gather will go up.”