Increase in worship attendance expected with court ruling

Under Nevada’s latest standard for public gatherings, Masjid Ibrahim could host at least 100 worshippers for prayer.

But services at the mosque will, for now, remain capped at 50, the standard enacted under an order by Gov. Steve Sisolak that a federal appeals court struck down this week.

Athar Haseebullah, the mosque’s chairman, said the decision to remain at the more restrictive standard rather than the more liberal standard of 25 percent of fire code occupancy arises out of concern for members and the dangerous direction COVID-19 metrics are taking right now.

Spikes — in testing, hospitalizations and deaths — “are just high right now,” Haseebullah said. “It’s true that if you reduce the number of people (gathered), you continue to reduce the risk of infection.”

Six months ago, “we probably would have went with the 25 percent,” Haseebullah said. But, for now “we’re going to err on the side of caution.”

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week struck down Gov. Steve Sisolak’s restriction of worship services to 50 people or 25 percent of fire code occupancy, whichever is fewer. Allowable attendance at worship services now is a straight 25 percent of fire code capacity.

Several Southern Nevada clergy members expect to have no difficulty finding people to fill the extra seats this weekend.

The Rev. Jimmy Morales, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain in Las Vegas, said he expects as many as 180 at services this weekend in his 786-seat church.

“A typical Sunday service attendance before COVID was 300-some people,” he said. “Now we’ve got 170 to 180 who want to be there at each service on Sunday morning.”

However, Morales — whose church was one of two in Nevada to challenge Sisolak’s order in court — also expects that many who have been worshipping through the church’s livestreamed service will continue to do so.

The Rev. Paul Marc Goulet of the International Church of Las Vegas says his church can seat up to 775 under the 25-percent standard. But, he said, the church has added services and will accommodate, with social distancing, up to 500 at each service.

“We’re not even going to try to max it all out. We still try to be cautious,” he said. “We’ll try to limit it to 400 or 500.”

Goulet said he expects a larger crowd this weekend, but also expects some congregants to hold off returning to live worship for now. Some are “growing accustomed to being online. Others are at (health) risk.”

But, Goulet said, “there’s massive demand” to attend live services, even if a return to pre-COVID attendance is “going to take a while.”

Bishop George Leo Thomas of the Diocese of Las Vegas expects capacity crowds at area Catholic churches this weekend.

“I know pastors have been champing at the bit to get going again,” he said.

Parishes’ Mass registration systems will be adjusted to reflect the new standard. But because area Catholic churches vary so much in size and seating capacity — and because the calculation for each church also will take proper social distancing into account — attendance will vary from parish to parish.

Diocesan churches can accommodate anywhere from 200 to 1,200 people, Thomas said. “To have what I call a one-size-fits-all paradigm just does not work.”

“We are excited and very grateful,” Thomas said. “It’s a big step in the right direction.”

Contact John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JJPrzybys on Twitter.