Washington D.C., Apr 14, 2020 / 10:10 am
The Justice Department (DOJ) has promised to act on any abuses of religious freedom after some state and local governments sought to enforce tough restrictions on Easter services during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec tweeted that Attorney General William Barr "is monitoring government regulation of religious services" in a week when Christians celebrated Easter and Jews commemorated Passover.
"While social distancing policies are appropriate during this emergency, they must be applied evenhandedly and not single out religious organizations. Expect action from DOJ next week!" Kupec tweeted.
As the coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S., state governors, mayors and county governments have issued various restrictions on businesses, transportation, public gatherings and religious services. There are nearly two million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with almost 600,000 cases in the U.S.