Federal appeals court rules against New York COVID restrictions on religious gatherings
The federal Appeals Court for the 2nd Circuit has ruled in favor of religious groups, blocking the state of New York's restrictions on gatherings that were enacted to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The federal court held in a unanimous 3-0 decision that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, two synagogues, and Agudath Israel, an Orthodox Jewish group, had their free exercise rights violated because of Governor Andrew Cuomo's attendance caps that were issued in early October. Cuomo's policy permitted to the lesser of 10 people or 25% capacity in zones where COVID-19 risk was the highest and 25 people or 33% capacity in the less risky zones.
The ruling ordered that the caps had to be enjoined while the case is pending, which means that the state cannot enforce such caps against any house of worship. The appellate court remanded Agudath Israel's case to the district court in Brooklyn, ordering...
