The U.S. States Where Religion Is Exempt From Social Distancing [Infographic]

The United States has passed two grim milestones in its battle against COVID-19. The total number of infections has now surpassed one million while the number of deaths stood at 58,355 at 2:30am EDT on April 29, 2020 – a figure higher than the 58,220 deaths the U.S. experienced in the Vietnam War. As the virus swept across the country, every U.S. state issued stay home orders or implemented social distancing measures to curb its spread. While shops and restaurants have been shuttered, mass gatherings have been banned. Interestingly, though, there has been a notable exemption from the effort in most parts of the U.S. and that’s religious services and gatherings.

Across much of the world, religious services have gone online and on Easter Sunday, St. Peter’s Square remained deserted in the Vatican as the Pope’s mass was livestreamed. In Kenya, Muslim leaders recently requested the reopening of Mosques and the lifting of an evening curfew to facilitate Friday prayers during Ramadan but those requests were refused. Saudi Arabia has urged Muslims to postpone their plans for the annual hajj pilgrimage amid speculation it could be cancelled. In the U.S. however, religious gatherings are still taking place. In fact, only 10 states are preventing in-person religious gatherings in any form, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of recent state-level regulations.

California is among the states fully prohibiting religious services and that has resulted in a group of churches suing Gov. Gavin Newsom in federal court over what they claim is a violation of their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. Other states, such as Florida and South Carolina, have deemed religious worship essential, alongside healthcare institutions and supermarkets. 15 states have allowed religious gatherings to continue without any limits on their size while 22 have said they can take place if they’re limited to 10 people or fewer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the cancellation of gatherings of over 10 people and that if they do occur, social distancing of 6 feet should be practiced at all times.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)

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