California church must pay $1.2M for breaking COVID rules

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California church that defied safety regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic by holding large, unmasked religious services must pay $1.2 million in fines, a judge has ruled. Calvary Chapel in San Jose was fined last week for ignoring Santa Clara County’s mask-wearing rules between November 2020 and June 2021. “It should appear clear to all — regardless of religious affiliation — that wearing a mask while worshiping one’s god and communing with other congregants is a simple, unobtrusive, giving way to protect others while still exercising your right to religious freedom,” Superior Court Judge Evette D. Pennypacker wrote in the April 7 ruling imposing the fines. The church, she said, flouted public health orders “and urged others to do so ‘who cares what the cost,’ including death.” County Counsel James Williams said the ruling showed the court “once again saw through Calvary’s unsupported claims and found them meritless.” “The county’s response to the pandemic, including the health officer’s public health orders and enforcement against entities that refused to follow the law, saved thousands of lives and resulted in one of the lowest death rates of any community in the United States,” Williams said.