Assemblyman Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) has received many complaints and much anger regarding the Governor’s order requiring houses of worship to severely limit their attendance, effectively shutting them down.  

“We need to understand that the Governor’s action was due to an increase in COVID-19 infection rates in certain identified hotspots. The Governor had to act swiftly in order to prevent deaths as we’ve seen in the past. We are facing this crisis due to the lack of enforcement by the City government of the rules for mask-wearing, and social distancing in many gatherings, thereby creating a health emergency. Now after the initial emergency response has been taken, the government needs to review what changes can be made to protect basic rights to attend religious services, obviously with the reasonable requirements of congregants wearing masks and proper social distancing,” Colton stated.

“We must recognize that the right and freedom to practice religion is a basic right. I have seen these practices effectively work while I have attended Sunday masses at Most Precious Blood, St. Simon & Jude Church and at St. Athanasius Church. Unfortunately, these churches were closed to public masses this Sunday due to the rules limiting the number of participants to 25% capacity, up to a maximum of 10 people, whichever is fewer, which I believe can be safely modified. The real solution is to modify the rule, by enforcing certification that there will be 6 feet social distancing and that all congregants be required to wear masks and eliminating the alternative maximum of 10 and 25. However, houses of worship that fail to comply with safety restrictions must be subject to strict enforcement,” Colton continued.

“I have personally witnessed the workability of this accomplished by cordoning off every other row of pews and allowing worshiper, to sit only at each end of the pews. If the place of worship enforces this, as I have personally seen being enforced at St Simon and Jude and at St Athanasius, the limit to merely a specified percentage of the total legal capacity will allow the safe conducting of worship while promoting the safe practice of religious beliefs to treat others with the love and respect and concern for each other’s wellbeing which is at the heart of all religious practice,” Colton added.