President Trump said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue a “strong recommendation” on reopening churches as soon as Friday.
“We want our churches open, we want our places of faith — synagogues — we want them open,” Mr. Trump said Friday during an event with bikers in honor of military veterans. “I consider them essential, and that’s one of the things we’re saying. We’re going to make that essential.”
Mr. Trump has criticized Democratic governors over their shutdown orders, saying some of them are disrespecting churches by not allowing in-person worship services during the coronavirus crisis.
Church events have been the source of community outbreaks in Georgia and Arkansas, however.
Scientists also say choirs, in particular, are susceptible to transmission of COVID-19 due to the mechanics of packing together, emitting particles while singing and breathing in deeply.
