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In yet another pandemic-inspired measure, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill (SB 254) making church doors the last to shutter during an emergency lockdown by classifying them as “essential services.”
The change will require state and local governments to allow religious events and activities to continue during a state of emergency unless an order requires all entities, such as businesses and government offices, to close their doors.
The law won’t force churches, synagogues, mosques or other houses of worship to remain open during an emergency, but proponents say it will give them the flexibility to respond how they choose.
– Drew Wilson, Florida Politics