State health officials say they’re keeping an eye on the threat of COVID-19 among the Amish population. Indiana State Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver addressed concerns about large weddings and church functions, during Tuesday’s COVID-19 briefing.
“We are aware, and we have been talking to the local health officers and other community leaders up there, the Indiana State Department of Health has, as well as we’re looking to doing some testing in the Amish community, as we move forward here in the next couple of weeks,” Dr. Weaver said.
Starting this Friday, religious services will no longer have a specific limit on the number of people in attendance, under Governor Holcomb’s most recent executive order. Holcomb said Tuesday that places of worship seemed like a good test case for easing restrictions on gatherings. “We could’ve, maybe, added a few other sectors but felt like that would be premature to go all in across the board with those certain parameters,” Holcomb said. “So this was a first step toward that that we felt was responsible, and we just wanted to be more safe than sorry if we went too much too fast.”
Churches are still urged to use virtual or drive-in services, if possible, and social distancing and sanitation requirements apply. The governor also calls on religious leaders to keep their congregations safe.
