MIAMI – Gov. Ron DeSantis said his order to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic was not to get in the way of religious freedom in Florida.
DeSantis listed services at houses of worship under the state’s definition of essential business. President Donald Trump asked the public on March 21 to avoid social gatherings of 10 or more people.
Rabbi Yossi Harlig, of the Chabad of Kendall/Pinecrest said he is standing with epidemiologists and he is doing his part to educate the community. Passover, he said, is a time to be home.
“It’s a very dangerous time, we need to take it seriously," Rabbi Harlig said. “We need to protect each other. And if you do something that’s reckless, not only is it going to affect you, but it can affect your entire community.”
Rabbi Harlig is among the religious leaders in South Florida who have decided to follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski and Imam Abdul Hamid Samra agree with Rabbi Harlig. Wenski said social distancing guidelines are a priority for every priest in the Archdiocese of Miami.
Wenski is encouraging parishioners to stay in touch with their priests, to connect online first and isolate at home.
“As Jesus prayed in his desert, we can pray in this desert of social isolation,” Wenski said.
Imam Hamid Samra said the disease is taking too many lives. As of Thursday evening, COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory illness, has killed 52,863 worldwide -- including 1,397 in New York City and 144 in Florida.
“You want to be obedient to God," said Imam Hamid Samra, of the Islamic Center of Greater Miami. “There is something more important now, which is to save the lives of other people.”