JACKSON — Today, Gov. Tate Reeves released social distancing and sanitation guidelines that he said would make it possible for in-person worship services to safely resume across Mississippi.
Consulting with Mississippi State Department of Health State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and other health officials, Reeves said he developed guidelines for worship leaders and their congregations to join together to practice their faiths while continuing to help protect public health and flatten the curve.
"I’ll just say this as a personal point. My family is likely going to continue worshiping from home for a while. The church is not a building. We can honor our Lord and keep our neighbors safe. You don’t need to rush back. We do want to provide a playbook for how to do it safely, when pastors determine the time is right," said Reeves.
The guidelines include steps to prepare houses of worship, plan for logistics and worship programming, and direct staff and worship leadership on social distancing protocols.
The full guidelines for in-person worship services is available for viewing here.
Reeves made the announcement at today's press briefing, which can beviewed on Facebook here.
Churches and places of worship were deemed an essential business or operation and were never instructed to close by the state. They were, however, encouraged to offer services online and remotely to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Many municipalities around the state, including Charleston, adopted strict guidelines as part of a series of governmental orders to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. One of them was to require that church buildings remain closed.
A revised city order last week allowed barbershops, salons and fitness centers to reopen but kept the restriction on churches, clubs and bars as one of the city's "overcrowding preventative measures." As of Tuesday, that edict remained in effect, although Mayor Sedrick Smith said it would be reviewed in light of the governor's Tuesday announcement.
