Weddings, funerals and religious services can restart in a limited fashion across Washington state with new guidelines issued May 27 by Gov. Jay Inslee.<\/p>\n
Up to 100 people will be allowed to congregate on the grounds of churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship for services, nuptials and funerals, according to the new guidance.<\/p>\n
For counties in the second phase of the state’s reopening, faith-based organizations can now host events indoors at 25% capacity, or fewer than 50 people, whichever is less.<\/p>\n
All employees, members and visitors are required to wear face coverings before, during and after a service, whether indoors or outdoors.<\/p>\n
No choirs can perform. While singing is permitted, individuals must not remove their face coverings to sing — masks must be worn for the entirety of a service.<\/p>\n
The new guidance also allows individuals to hold religious services or offer spiritual counseling for up to five people at their home. This would include religious study classes, religious ceremonies, religious holiday celebrations, weddings and funerals.<\/p>\n
Organizations are strongly encouraged to keep a log of attendees at each service or counseling session, and to keep that log for at least two weeks. If an outbreak occurs, the information can be used by contact tracers to reach others who may have been exposed.<\/p>\n
“We know that people treasure religious gatherings, so this has been a difficult issue about how we simultaneously defeat this virus and maintain our congregations,” Inslee said during a Wednesday news conference. “This crisis may affect our physical connections, but we should not allow it to stop our emotional connections.”<\/p>\n
The new rules replace ones issued May 6 which permitted only drive-in spiritual services. Under that guidance, people had to stay in their cars and keep their windows up and sunroofs closed unless their vehicle was at least six feet from the nearest vehicle.<\/p>\n
Wednesday’s announcement marked the latest step in the state’s gradual reemergence from lockdown in response to the spread of coronavirus which causes COVID-19, which had claimed at least 1,078 lives in Washington as of Tuesday, including 549 lives in King County. <\/a><\/p>\n Inslee issued a statewide stay-home order in late March and extended it through May 31 earlier this month. At the time, he also laid out a plan for fully reopening the state in four phases.<\/p>\n