Two churches fined $5,000 after allegedly violating health protocols during holidays

Authorities have been on the lookout for organisations, whether religious or not, that might be violating COVID-19 protocols. In New Mexico, two churches are about to spend a ton on fines after they were charged for flouting health protocols on Christmas Eve amid the pandemic.

Two mega churches in New Mexico were fined $5,000 each due to claims that they violated the restrictions that were imposed by health officials during the coronavirus pandemic. The two churches in question were Calvary Church and Albuquerque's Legacy Church. They would also be facing other penalties that the state may take "against the same conduct." Although the churches would be fined, they could still request a hearing if they would like to contest the imposed fines against them.

Videos circulated in social media which showed that many parishioners of the said churches were in close proximity to each other, with many of them not wearing masks. In May, the governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, issued a mask mandate in the state.

Religious services in counties which are in the red zone were required to only proceed at 25 percent capacity. Red zone counties refer to those that have the highest COVID-19 cases. Aside from the red zones, there are also green and yellow tiers that denote areas with lower infection rates.

It can be recalled how Legacy Church tried to push back against then-Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel in April, saying that the orders on public health only trample on their right to exercise religious freedom. However, US District Judge James O. Browning, in July stated that the orders of the state were not related to the suppression of religion or speech and that they serve a compelling state interest. He also added that there were just no available alternatives that are "significantly less restrictive."

New Mexico Church

"We have taken the pandemic seriously from the start and have prudent measures in place. But when governments exceed their constitutional authority and contradict what we are called on by God to do, we answer first to His authority," said Legacy Church in AP News.