Are Easter church services safe? Here’s what Kansas doctors say after a year of COVID

As Easter Sunday approaches, some Kansas doctors say in-person church services that don’t follow health guidelines are riskier than religious gatherings a year ago.

Doctors speaking during recent media briefings hosted by The University of Kansas Health System urged churches not to loosen pandemic restrictions on their holiday worship services. Singing, especially without masks and in close proximity to each other, raises risks for spreading the coronavirus at religious gatherings.

“To any church leaders out there, just remember COVID is still out there,” said Dr. Steve Stites, University of Kansas Health System Chief Medical Officer. “There’s still widespread community transmission. ... You’re seeing a rise in COVID again. It looks like there may be another surge, and it’s caused by the same things it is always caused by: When folks don’t follow the rules, the virus spreads.”

“Now as we go into the Easter season,” Stites continued, “how bad would it be as we celebrate Easter and resurrection to have a lot of people getting sick from COVID because we got back together again? There’s a certain juxtaposition there that doesn’t feel very good.”

Kansas churches have had deadly coronavirus clusters in the past.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has reported 64 total clusters at religious gatherings, with 616 cases of COVID-19, 82 hospitalizations and 25 deaths.

Recently COVID outbreaks at religious gatherings have become less common.

Since Feb. 3, there have been two new clusters at religious gatherings statewide. As of Wednesday, there were zero active outbreaks at religious gatherings, according to the KDHE.

The Sedgwick County Health Department identified its first church cluster just days before Easter 2020. Since then, the health department has identified seven total clusters at religious institutions during the pandemic.

The KU doctors were asked whether it is safer to attend Easter services in 2021 than it was in 2020.

“Is it safer? In some respects yes,” said Dr. David Wild, vice president of performance improvement. “Definitely from the perspective that we’ve learned a lot and we’ve given you the tools on how to keep yourselves safe. If you do all those things, it’s safer than last year. But just remember there’s far more people in any community — your church community, your neighborhood, anywhere — that are positive than there was a year ago.”

“There’s definitely more community spread now than there was at Easter time a year ago,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU.

Last spring, government-ordered restrictions limited in-person religious gatherings to 10 or fewer people. The order from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly was in effect on Easter, after the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that top Kansas Republican leaders in the Legislature did not follow the proper procedure when they revoked her order.

Following the holiday, religious services were granted an exception to mass gathering limits after two churches sued in federal court.

“A lot of different Christian churches are going to be holding Easter services,” Hawkinson said. “I think that’s a great thing compared to last year, if you can go to your congregation and it’s safe. Most congregations or parishes we know are doing things to be safe.”

Hawkinson said attending in-person religious gatherings requires “risk mitigation” and understanding the dangers.

Mass and other services should be social distanced, leaving space in pews. Masks should be worn. Singing raises the risk. Holding church outdoors or listening from your car like at a drive-in reduces the risk, as does being vaccinated.

“If you are vaccinated and everybody is masked and you’re spread apart, I think that risk is going to be greatly reduced,” Hawkinson said.

Stites said he understands “there is a burning desire to be normal,” but it is too early to act like the pandemic is over.

“Ask yourself this question — and remember the viral levels in the community are much higher now than they were this time last year — if you knew that the actions are going to cause injury and illness to another person you care about, would you still make the same choice?” Stites said. “That’s the wrestle you have to do, the desire to get out and be around folks versus having to wait just a few more weeks before we can go out and do that.”