A Baptist church in Mobile, Alabama, is returning to online-only services after 20 worshippers contracted the coronavirus over the last two weeks. “We can’t be sure of the sources of those infections, but we know that gathering in worship services is not a good idea with that many cases out there,” Rev. Derek Allen, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Tillmans Corner, told AL.com. The church was hosting around 350 people each week before canceling in-person worship. Gov. Kay Ivey allowed in-person services to resume with social distancing on May 11. Allen penned a blog post warning other church leaders about the seriousness of the coronavirus, saying, “assume every sniffle is Covid-19, and act quickly.” Coronavirus cases in Alabama have spiked in recent days, with the state currently reporting 39,604 cases.
