Mecklenburg loosens restrictions on drive-up church services during stay-at-home order
Church service is back this weekend around Charlotte — at least from the safety of your car.
Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio said Friday morning that the county will allow drive-up or drive-thru church services, but not drive-up communions. Communion, Diorio said, is considered too high-risk for the potential spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
North Carolina’s stay-at-home order, which was extended Thursday, prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people, including at church services. Generally, the statewide order permits churches to remain open as long as crowd size and social distancing is observed.
Mecklenburg County’s local stay-at-home order — until today — was more restrictive.
Previously, faith-based organizations were allowed to live stream services “provided that they abide by the restriction of 10 or less people physically on-site, while practicing proper social distancing practices,” according to the previous order. Now, drive-thru or drive-up services will be allowed.
“We have gotten a tremendous amount of cooperation from our faith leaders around not holding drive-up church services but we feel now that the data and the flattening the curve allows us to allow (that),” Diorio said Friday during a news conference.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 10:58 AM.
