During a press briefing on Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that places of worship will be considered “essential” operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump stated that “they have places ‘essential’ that aren’t essential, and they open. And yet the churches aren’t allowed to open and the synagogues and—places of faith—mosques, places of faith.”

Under the most recent guidelines released by the White House regarding re-opening procedures, places of worship can operate “under strict physical distancing protocols.”

Trump also stated that he would “override” governors if they did not reopen places of worship over Memorial Day weekend. However, Kayleigh McEnany, the press secretary for the White House, subsequently stated that the reopening is “up to the governors.”

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