Chicago police disbanded a funeral Sunday morning at a Pulaski Park church while enforcing a statewide stay-at-home order put in place earlier this month to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Just before 9 a.m., officers noticed a group congregating inside St. Odisho Church at 6201 N. Pulaski Road, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Responding officers reported the crowd consisted of between 40 and 60 people, many of whom were elderly, Guglielmi said. Individuals over 65 are considered to be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Several people were seen drinking from the same cup during communion before officers “expedited the completion of the funeral service and dispersed patrons,” Guglielmi said. No one was arrested, and no citations were issued.
“This is sincerely the last thing we want to do, but public health during this climate is vastly important for everyone,” Guglielmi said.
Churches and other places of worship were forced to close as part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s sweeping stay-at-home order, which took effect March 21 and stays in place through April 7. As a result, many places of worship have begun streaming services online to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
In Louisiana, about 500 people disobeyed a state ban on gatherings Sunday and flocked to a church outside Baton Rouge, according to the Associated Press. Cops also broke up a “funeral repast” a day earlier in New Orleans, issuing a warrant for a man who refused to shut it down and a summons to a band leader.
Across Illinois, 65 of the 4,596 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 have died, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Meanwhile, the coronavirus has sickened 3,315 people in Louisiana, killing 137, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
