As fall settles in around the country and temperatures start to dip, the country is seeing exactly what medical experts warned us about: a new wave of infections as people head indoors,

“The Supreme Court’s order misuses religious freedom and endangers the public health of everyone in New York," said Americans United CEO Rachel Laser. "With coronavirus cases spiking across the country, we should be heeding the advice of public health experts who recommend limiting large gatherings. COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate between religious and secular gatherings; on numerous occasions, infections at houses of worship have led to major outbreaks in surrounding communities."

In light of the resurgence of the virus, this would be exactly the wrong time for the justices to extend preferential treatment to religious groups by allowing them to ignore bans on large gatherings.