Shelter-in-place has led to uncomfortable situations at the grocery store, work and even at home, but most people have been able to overcome those negative experiences so far.
Things got very uncomfortable at a Greenville church on Wednesday night, however, where members said they gathered in the parking lot to listen as the body of Christ to their pastor over the radio.
Police showed up and issued citations to congregates.
While all of the details of the interactions between the churchgoers and the police have not been fleshed out, The E-T thought it would be a good idea to clarify the most recent prohibitions on public gatherings, as Easter Sunday approaches for Christians.
The City of Indianola originally passed an ordinance on March 24, declaring a state of emergency and stating that gatherings were to be limited to 10 or fewer, and this included churches.
Since then, last Saturday in fact, the city has revisited this declaration in order to bring it in line with the governor’s more stringent shelter-in-place order that was signed last Wednesday afternoon.
In the most updated order, churches are not allowed to gather as a body inside the sanctuary, according to Indianola Mayor Steve Rosenthal.
The 10 or fewer rule no longer applies.
“No public or private gatherings may occur within the boundaries of the City of Indianola, including, but not limited to dance halls/clubs, bars, taverns, restaurant dining areas, churches, adult day care centers, funerals, personal care and grooming facilities, gymnasiums, or outdoor recreation facilities, with the exception of those establishments involved in the providing of necessities such as grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, laundry mats, discount and/or dollar stores and material supply houses,” the ordinance reads in part.
Rosenthal said that although the 10 or fewer part was no longer in play, he would have a less strict interpretation of what the governor’s order means by congregate than perhaps the City of Greenville.
In other words, Rosenthal told The E-T, if people are in their cars, with just their families, listening to a pastor on the radio, this would probably not be in violation of the governor’s order, nor the city’s ordinance.
If people got out of their cars and began to interact, that would be a violation, and the police, if notified, would have the authority to break up the gathering.
Also, Rosenthal said that he interprets the governor’s order to prohibit normal funeral proceedings.
He said that graveside services with immediate family members probably would not constitute a violation, as long as the very few family members present were practicing proper social distancing measures.
