Indoor Faith-Based Services Permitted Under Revised L.A. County Order
On Saturday, public health officials revised Los Angeles County’s health officer order to allow indoor religious services, with modifications, once again.
The order was modified to align with recent Supreme Court rulings for places of worship.
Under the revised order, places of worship are permitted to operate indoors so long as physical distancing of at least 6 feet between attendees from different households is observed. All worshipers must always wear face masks over both the nose and while in attendance and “when walking near or past non-household members, whether indoors or outdoors.” Face coverings must also be worn by staff working in cubicles, including cubicles equipped with partitions.
Staff and visitors must also be screened for whether they are currently under isolation or quarantine orders.
Despite the change, officials still recommend that houses of worship continue to facilitate outdoor or remote services “for all attendees, especially those who are vulnerable to COVID-19 including older adults and those with co-morbidities, given the increased risk of community transmission of COVID-19 resulting from the unprecedented surge of new daily cases, hospitalizations, and premature deaths.”