Minneapolis, US
AP
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Saturday scrapped his 10-person limit on group gatherings and agreed to allow churches to open at 25 per cent occupancy if certain safety guidelines are met.
Walz said the decision, coming on a day when the state reported a record number of COVID-19 cases, has been “a challenging one” because large gatherings raise the risk of spreading the virus. He said the last week “has been all over the place” as he considered new Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and talked with religious leaders about the change.
A couple walks past a field of flags ahead of Memorial Day, Saturday, 23rd May, in Cohasset, Massachusetts. PICTURE: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer.
NEW ENGLAND CATHOLICS LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING MASS AGAIN
Church services are still prohibited, but Roman Catholics in New Hampshire can begin receiving Holy Communion again in parishes that follow certain safety guidelines.
Manchester Bishop Peter Libasci has given priests permission to begin offering Communion this weekend. His instructions specify that pews must be closed off, hand sanitizer must be available at church entrances and masks must be worn except for when receiving Communion.
Aisles must be marked to keep parishioners at least 6 feet apart.
The bishop says he wanted to provide an interim measure while planning for the future resumption of public Masses.
On Saturday, New Hampshire reported 77 new positive COVID-19 cases and four new deaths. That brings the total to 4,089 cases and 208 deaths.
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford says it’s making plans to start holding public Masses again.
Leaders of the archdiocese, which includes parishes in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties, said Saturday on Facebook that they plan to resume public Masses on weekdays first before resuming Sunday masses – “while following public health guidelines.”
Guidance for parishes will become public next week, the archdiocese says.
As of Saturday, there were 40,022 coronavirus cases in Connecticut. The state reported 3,675 deaths, up 38 from Friday.
– AP
“I understand the toll the pandemic has taken on the spiritual health of Minnesotans,” said Walz, whose new executive order for religious gatherings goes into effect Wednesday. It applies only to ceremonies and not to receptions, he added.
The Catholic Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis had already said it would reopen Tuesday at one-third capacity. The archdiocese leader, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, said in a letter to parishioners Saturday that the churches would abide by the Wednesday opening and emphasised that safety comes first.
Said Hebeda, “If a parish is not confident they are ready, they should not open. Period.”
The Archbishop said limiting gatherings to 10 people had “burdened the church’s ability to fully meet the sacramental needs of our faithful” and he appreciated the “honest, open, and fast-paced dialogue” with state leaders.
In addition to social distancing and attendance guidelines, the new plan recommends that everyone wear masks and that no singing takes place in a congregate setting.
Walz’s announcement came as the state reported a daily high for COVID-19 cases for the second straight day.
State health officials confirmed 847 new cases, boosting the cumulative number to 19,845. There were 10 additional deaths, increasing the total number to 852. Nearly 700 people living in long-term care facilities have died from the coronavirus.
A record 33 deaths were confirmed in Friday’s report.
“I want to be clear to Minnesotans. The worst has not yet passed in terms of infections and infection rates,” Walz said.
Dr Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus task force coordinator, on Friday identified Minneapolis among four metro areas in the country where infection rates are persistent or rising. Also Friday, the Star Tribune reported at least 150 people in the densely populated, predominantly black Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis have tested positive for COVID-19, raising concerns about racial disparities that have been seen around the country.
The number of people requiring hospitalisation jumped from 534 to 568 in the last day and there are 215 people in intensive care units. State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Saturday that two level one trauma centers have reached surge capacity.
“We have to take this very seriously,” Malcolm said.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
