SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California church that defied security rules through the COVID-19 pandemic by holding giant, unmasked non secular providers should pay $1.2 million in fines, a decide has dominated.

Calvary Chapel in San Jose was fined final week for ignoring Santa Clara County’s mask-wearing guidelines between November 2020 and June 2021.

The church will attraction, lawyer Mariah Gondeiro advised the San Jose Mercury News.

Calvary was certainly one of a number of giant California evangelical church buildings that flouted state and native mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines designed to forestall the unfold of COVID-19 throughout its deadliest interval.

That has led to a tangled net of court docket rulings and challenges.

Calvary Chapel sued the county, arguing the well being orders violated its non secular freedom. Various courts have dominated both in favor the church or the county.

The church and its pastors had been beforehand held in contempt of court docket and fined for violating limits on indoor public gatherings. But a state appellate court docket reversed these selections final 12 months, saying that the restrictions on indoor worship providers had been stricter than for secular actions resembling going to grocery shops.

The county continued to hunt fines for violations of mask-wearing rules.

“It should appear clear to all - regardless of religious affiliation - that wearing a mask while worshiping one’s god and communing with other congregants is a simple, unobtrusive, giving way to protect others while still exercising your right to religious freedom,” Superior Court Judge Evette D. Pennypacker wrote within the April 7 ruling imposing the fines.

The church, she stated, flouted public well being orders “and urged others to do so ‘who cares what the cost,’ including death.”

County Counsel James Williams stated the ruling confirmed the court docket “once again saw through Calvary’s unsupported claims and found them meritless.”

“The county’s response to the pandemic, including the health officer’s public health orders and enforcement against entities that refused to follow the law, saved thousands of lives and resulted in one of the lowest death rates of any community in the United States,” Williams stated.

More than 101,000 Californians have died from COVID-19, based on state public well being figures. Death and an infection charges have fallen because the top of the virus’ unfold, and Gov. Gavin Newsom formally ended the state’s coronavirus emergency a number of months in the past.

Last week, the California Department of Public Health ended masking and coronavirus vaccination necessities in high-risk settings, together with well being care amenities and prisons.

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