A pastor associated with the charismatic Bethel Church in Redding, California, claims that over 12,000 people had attended a protest and worship service on the California State Capitol grounds on Sunday, according to CBS Sacramento.
Worship pastor Sean Feucht has reportedly been holding Christian concerts across the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic, violating local orders against large gatherings.
Feucht took to Twitter Monday, tweeting: “Official Capitol Hill police estimate was 12,000 tonight in Sacramento!!! GOD IS NOT DONE WITH CALIFORNIA!!! #LetUsWorship“
Official Capitol Hill police estimate was 12,000 tonight in Sacramento!!! ????????
GOD IS NOT DONE WITH CALIFORNIA!!!#LetUsWorship pic.twitter.com/4sRGwbQbIl
— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) September 7, 2020
Feucht has railed against the preventive measures being taken to stifle the spread of the virus, claiming that freedom of being able to practice religion is being infringed. This comes as riots and protests have raged across the country following the death of George Floyd.
“Powerful politicians and social media giants have engaged in unchartered abuses of religious liberty, silencing the faithful, banning our voices, and outright attacking our God-given right to declare His goodness,” Feucht published on his website LetUsWorship.us where he livestreams the concerts and encourages listeners to sign a petition related to the lockdown.
CBS Sacramento noted that thousands have attended Feucht’s events, which have the vibe of a stadium concert as opposed to a prayer service.
Last night 12,000 people gathered at California’s state capitol and worshipped our Lord!! Its was a wonderful night!! Did you hear about it??????? pic.twitter.com/Qw1BmI4LgY
— Chrissy???? (@chrissylou76) September 7, 2020
It was on Sunday that Feucht held an event on the front steps of the California State Capitol building, claiming that the Capitol Police estimated a staggering 12,000 people showed up for the event.
Many photos taken at the event have circulated around social media, showing that attendees are not adhering to social distancing guidelines and most are neglecting to wear a mask.
Infectious Disease expert, Dr. Dean Blumberg, stated that it was possible there were many people at the gathering who were potentially infectious, “who were either pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, and could transmit COVID-19 to others.” It is unclear why this same amount of scrutiny has not been used on the protests and riots that have resulted in the destruction of major cities across the U.S., including people’s homes and businesses.
“That’s really a recipe for transmission and can lead to further outbreaks not only among the people who are in attendance but their contacts, too,” Dr. Blumberg said.
CBS Sacramento reported that “according to California Highway Patrol’s guidance for in-person protests on Capitol grounds, there is no longer a limit on how many people can attend constitutionally-protected First Amendments activities. However, strict physical distancing of a minimum of six-feet between attendees should be implemented for events.”
“That’s a high risk gathering, and I would recommend people self-quarantine after being in that kind of a situation,” Dr. Blumberg said.
Dr. Blumberg stated now was not the time to relax on the social distancing protocols.
“People need to realize, that there’s still about 100 deaths per day in California, so we need to take this seriously or that number will increase,” Dr. Blumberg said.
Dr. Blumberg noted that he would not recommend testing for those who attended Sunday’s worship event since there is still limited capacity for testing in California. He added that those who develop symptoms should contact a medical physician.