Does Wake’s stay-at-home order treat churches unfairly? County may change rules, again.
Some Wake County leaders want to loosen local stay-at-home rules for churches and other faith organizations.
The county’s most recent restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus allow drive-through services that meet certain guidelines.
The rules ban the personal collection of tithes and offerings, distributing communion and handing out literature like a church program or bulletin. People must stay in their cars, with only members of a single household allowed inside a vehicle. Cars must be six feet apart, ideally with a parking space between them.
Community members, including some state leaders, have argued churches are being unfairly restricted compared to other businesses and organizations.
“A lot of our most recent order was a lot of ‘thou shall not’ and not a lot of thou can,” said Wake County Commissioner Matt Calabria. “I am sure there are lower-hanging fruit options and then options that might require more preparedness or protective equipment.”
There are more than 600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wake County and nearly 7,000 confirmed cases in the state.
Calabria and other commissioners stressed during a virtual meeting Monday that they don’t want to jeopardize public health. But they said they do want to address some concerns within the confines of the order.
“My suspicion is there is a safe way to do this, and I want to make sure we give it the college try,” Calabria said.
The issue is also about equity, said Commissioner Jessica Holmes.
“For example, when I go to the grocery store I don’t have to have an empty space between me and the next car, which is a requirement we have for our churches right now,” she said. “I want us to be mindful of making sure we are treating all groups alike.”
Regina Petteway, director of Wake County Human Services, said the current restrictions give her pause and asked for patience before implementing changes. The last thing she and others want are clusters of cases linked back to churches like what has been seen in other counties and other states.
The stay-at-home order lasts through April 30, and it doesn’t have to be voted on or approved by the Wake County Board of Commissioners or any local governing body. That power lies with the chair — Commissioner Greg Ford — and the mayors of each of the county’s towns. Ford has said he has reached out for input from the commissioners about the order.
In a previous interview, Ford said his faith was important to him and that all the recommendations in the order were based on public health officials’ guidance.
“Based on data moving forward, I look forward to when we can open everything up more fully,” he said previously. “We can’t afford to get lax or complacent. What we’re doing has been working, and it’s making a positive difference. We need to keep it up.”
The board will be updated by the end of the week, said Wake County Manager David Ellis.
“We know that the large majority of Wake County’s churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith institutions are streaming worship services online and will continue to do so — but as I shared in the meeting, I would like any possible updates be made before this coming weekend’s services for those who want to implement them,” Ford said in an email Monday.
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 9:42 PM.
