Death toll rises to 5 in 143 cases of COVID-19 linked to Charlotte church events
At least five people have now died in COVID-19 cases linked to activities held at a Charlotte church this month, Mecklenburg officials said Monday.
Mecklenburg County Public Health has now identified 143 cases of COVID-19 linked to convocation events at the United House of Prayer for All People on Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte.
That includes 137 Mecklenburg residents, four Iredell County residents, one Gaston County resident and one Cabarrus County resident, according to Mecklenburg health officials. Four of the people who died were Mecklenburg residents and one lived in Gaston County, according to Mecklenburg officials.
And a cluster of COVID-19 cases at a senior living community — Madison Saints Paradise Independent Living — has increased to at least 19 confirmed cases, including three staff members, according to Mecklenburg county.
County staff have tried to contact at least 192 close contacts of people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 connected to the United House of Prayer for All People events.
The update comes two days after the county ordered all United House of Prayer for All People buildings shut down over “grave concerns” about the COVID-19 outbreak connected to church events. This is the first time the county has issued such an order during the coronavirus pandemic.
Church officials have not commented publicly about the outbreak or the county’s actions.
Mecklenburg Health Director Gibbie Harris ordered the buildings close beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday through at least 11:59 p.m. Nov. 5.
The COVID-19 outbreak is connected to convocation events at the Beatties Ford Road church between Oct. 4 and 11, which were attended by as many as 1,000 people, the county has said. The church “failed or refused” to ensure social distancing at the events, according to the county order.
Mecklenburg first warned of a COVID-19 cluster at the Beatties Ford Road church on Oct. 17, nearly a week after the events. At the time, officials publicly identified nine confirmed cases of COVID-19.
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Death toll rises to 5 in 143 cases of COVID-19 linked to Charlotte church events."
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