U.S. President Donald Trump has asked state governors to reopen churches and religious centres shut following the breakout of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump, in a broadcast on Friday May 22, said service centres were rendering essential and should be given the opportunity to do so in this period.
He threatened to override the governors if they fail to comply with the directive this weekend.
Worldometer.com reports that the U.S. has over 1.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday morning with New York as the epicentre.
So far, the country has recorded about 90,000 deaths resulting from the virus.
U.S. will hold a presidential election in November this year.
Trump pleaded with the state governors to allow the worship centres to resume and warned that he would override their decisions to keep them locked if they don’t comply with his order.
“Today I am identifying houses of worship; churches, synagogues and mosques as essential places that provide essential services. Some governors have deemed the liquor stores, abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worships, it is not right,” Trump said at the White House press conference on Friday.
“I’m correcting this injustice, calling the house of worship essential. I’m calling upon our governors to allow our churches and places of worship to open right now. If there is any question they have to call me and they are not going to be successful in that call.”
The U.S, president said he was calling for the reopening of the worship centres in line with the demand by Americans.
He stressed, “these are places that hold our society together and keep our people united.”
“The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now. For this weekend. If they don’t do it, I will override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less.”
He said worship centres leaders would ensure the safety of their members.
In France, the French Council of State, had earlier ruled on May 18, that the ban on religious centres in the country was an inconsistence response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It therefore ordered the government to lift the ban within eight days.
CNA reports that religious gatherings have been banned for nearly eight weeks in the European country to curtail the spread of the virus.
As of last week, France had about 180,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with over 28,0000 deaths.
The Council of State said since gatherings of fewer than 10 people are permitted in other places, “the general and absolute prohibition [on religious gatherings] is disproportionate…and therefore constitutes a serious and manifest violation of the freedom of worship.”