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Utah churches can assemble again—and some will do so—but social distancing will be a must

05/07/2020 05:00:40 PM

May7

Sean P. Means, Peggy Fletcher Stack, Paighten Harkins

The state has updated its guidelines for Utah’s churches and places of worship as COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease — if family groups physically distance themselves during services.

“Churches can resume operation,” Maj. Gen. Jeff Burton, the temporary head of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), said in Wednesday’s regular media briefing. “However, the one nonnegotiable stipulation is the 6-foot social distancing required by the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention].”

Rabbi Samuel Spector said Salt Lake City’s Congregation Kol Ami is assembling a task force of epidemiologists and experts as consultants.

“We will reopen once we’re sure it’s safe for our congregants to be together,” he said. “Opening up right now before the situation is contained is a gamble. We want to wait and see how it pans out for others before we put our community members at risk. We look forward to reopening once we are sure it’s safe.”

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