Over 40 COVID-19 cases traced to church service in Germany

A cluster of more than 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Germany has been traced to a service held at a Baptist church in Frankfurt — a few days after the country eased its lockdown.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, had relaxed restrictions in the European nation on May 6, shifting more responsibility to the country’s 16 federal states while maintaining social distancing.

But according to DeutcheWelle, the regional health ministry confirmed that at least 40 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus after attending the church’s service on May 10.

Aside from Frankfurt, it was gathered that the affected worshippers also included residents from three districts in the surrounding central state of Hesse, within which the church is situated.

“The affected worshippers were residents of Frankfurt and three districts in the surrounding central state of Hesse. According to our current information, only one person has been hospitalized,” said Kai Klose, Hesse health minister.

It is understood that Hesse had banned religious ceremonies and gatherings from mid-March as part of restrictions implemented nationwide to slow the spread of the disease.

However, it would later permit religious ceremonies to resume from May 1, as long as social distancing and other hygiene measures were implemented.

The surge in cases comes as officials of the Frankfurt church claimed they followed social distancing and other precautionary measures, adding that they had disinfected the entire church building ahead of the service.

So far, Germany has recorded over 180,000 cases of the novel coronavirus with more than 8,300 deaths.