OUTBREAK

20 People Infected With COVID-19 From One New York Church

“If anybody wants to wear a mask they wear a mask,” Pastor Gregory Kasap said.

New York State has seen incredible success keeping its infection rate below 1 percent even as COVID-19 has surged elsewhere in the country. But an outbreak at an upstate church shows how quickly things can go south. Health officials say 20 members of the Slavic Pentecostal Church in Parma, near Rochester, have already tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing the house of worship to shut down. The pastor, Gregory Kasap, told the Democrat and Chronicle he’s puzzled how such a thing could happen since the church provides hand sanitizer and “tried to have social distancing.” Here’s one clue: “If anybody wants to wear a mask they wear a mask,” Kasap said. Video from recent services shows almost everyone was unmasked, including those singing—and activity known to spread the virus.