US President Donald Trump has ordered governors of every state to open up worship centers in the country amid coronavirus pandemic.
Trump announced Friday that he was declaring churches and places of worship as “essential places that provide essential services,” and said that he would override governors to allow them to open “right now.”
Trump said during a press conference at the White House: “Today I’m identifying houses of worship — churches, synagogues and mosques — as essential places that provide essential services,”
He noted that if governors didn’t obey his request, he will “override” them.
During the press briefing, Trump highlighted the importance of worship centers in communities and expressed anger in the fact that businesses are allowed to reopen while churches are kept shut.
He said: “Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but not churches,
“It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”
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“These are places that hold our society together and keep our people united. The people are demanding to go to church and synagogue, go to their mosque,”
Earlier on, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had outlined guidelines for churches and other worship centers that included maintaining physical distance and limiting the number of worshipers in gatherings. However, the government had delayed in approving the prescribed guidelines.