GRANITE BAY, Calif. — With Easter Sunday quickly approaching, families are looking for ways to gather and celebrate safely.
Bayside Church Granite Bay is offering a number of different options, based on everyone's comfort levels, they'll be streaming everything online but they've also put up a massive tent where they'll be doing outdoor services all weekend long. The church will also be allowing 50% capacity for the traditional indoor service inside.
"We're cleaning everything twice, we're doing the distancing, we're asking people to take the precautions and take their own personal responsibility, and then we're offering options, options, options," Curt Harlow, a pastor at Bayside Church said.
Harlow is ready to spread the message of hope on Easter Sunday, from online to outdoors and socially distant and inside at 50% capacity.
"This year is kinda cool! We get to come back together, going to do it safe, but seeing one another, encouraging one another, just hearing each other sing and talk, all of those things that's what makes it special," he said.
CDC guidelines recommend attending religious ceremonies virtually, but if you plan to celebrate with others, they say, outdoors is safer than indoors.
"If they are going to meet with family, it should be three families, max, that, gather together and also again to follow all of the proper precautions, using face coverings, six feet separation, and stay home if you're sick," said Dr. Olivia Kasiyre, the Sacramento County Public Health Officer.
With fears of a fourth surge in the pandemic, as some states have lifted their restrictions altogether and new variants continue to pop up, Governor Newsom is still calling on Californians, to mask up, stay six feet apart and wash those hands.
"The disease is not taking Easter weekend off, the disease is not taking spring break is off, this disease remains as deadly as its ever been," Governor Newsom said.
The 10 a.m. Easter Sunday service at Bayside Church will be airing on ABC10. You can also watch any of their services online by clicking here.
As people are preparing to gather this weekend for Easter, the California Department of Health also just updated its travel advisory.
Here's what the guidelines say:
- Californians should not travel more than 120 miles was from their home.
- The department says postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19.
- Californians should avoid all non-essential travel outside of California.
