
A person who ended up testing positive for COVID-19 attended a California religious service on Mother’s Day, exposing 180 other people to the virus, according to health officials.
The person tested positive the very next day after the service, and they are now in isolation at home, Butte County Public Health said in a statement Friday.
Health officials reached out to those who attended the service and they are all required to self-quarantine. Officials are working to get testing for everyone who was in attendance.
As of Sunday afternoon, California had more than 78,800 cases of coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 3,200 people in the state have died.
There has been a continuous back-and-forth argument between religious organizations and public officials as some congregations believe their groups should be allowed to meet despite the pandemic. However, some health officials are concerned that religious services will not help in slowing down the spread of coronavirus.