After Reopening in April, Georgia Church Closes Again Following Virus Outbreak

On April 26, shortly after Georgia’s governor foolishly began reopening some businesses and gathering places throughout the state, Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle in the city of Ringgold opened its doors back up for in-person services.

Now it’s closing again and you’ll never guess why.

(Okay, you get one guess.)

Church representative Joan Lewis told The Christian Post on Monday, however, that they decided to suspend “in-person worship services for the foreseeable future” on May 11 after learning several families had contracted the virus.

…

“Though we feel very confident of the safe environment we are able to offer in our facilities, the decision was made … that we would discontinue all in-person services again until further notice in an effort of extreme caution for the safety and well-being of our families.”

The church did not say how many of their families were affected but noted that only about 25% of congregants had participated in in-person worship services during the time they had reopened.

It’s tragic that these families are suffering. At the same time, you can’t say they weren’t warned. All reliable data says that the coronavirus will be with us for months, if not years, to come — however long it takes for a vaccine to be developed — and the best advice is to self-quarantine and avoid others as much as possible. Church members can stream services online if they have to. Instead, this church urged people to gather in one place and now its membership is paying the price. No amount of hand sanitizer can undo an infected person spreading the virus by being in close proximity to others. (It’s not clear how many people were wearing masks.)

Stay home. Stay safe. Church is online for anyone who wants it.

(Screenshot via YouTube)