DeWine sending letter to Ohio places of worship after churchgoer with COVID-19 infects 91 others

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that he will send a letter to Ohio’s faith-based community to share important health information regarding the novel coronavirus with Ohio churches, synagogues, and mosques.

DeWine said the letter will also focus on sharing ways to better protect their worshippers.

The announcement comes after one case study shows that a man with COVID-19 attended a church service in Ohio, and following that service, 91 additional people from five counties developed symptoms.

“I know that our faith-based leaders want nothing more than to protect their worshipers, but we also know that the virus can easily spread in places where people gather,” DeWine said. “It is vital that, any time people gather together, everyone wear masks, practice social distancing, wash hands, and while indoors, making sure there is good ventilation and airflow.”

DeWine called the case study regarding the churchgoer “very, very scary,” adding that the virus spreads “like wildfire.”

“We know that our faith-based leaders want nothing more than to protect those who come to worship. We want to provide our faith communities with all the information we can from doctors and health experts to arm them with the tools to conduct services safely,” DeWine said during Tuesday’s coronavirus press briefing.

This slide shows the spread of the virus to at least 91 different people resulting from just one person with #COVID19 attending a church service. It spread like wildfire. pic.twitter.com/j70ENyMk2T

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) August 4, 2020