Supreme Court declines Nevada church’s appeal against pandemic restrictions

Chris Riotta
·2 min read
National Guard troops walk behind fencing in front of the US Supreme Court as security tightens ahead of presidential inaugural events on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 17 January 2021 ((Reuters))
National Guard troops walk behind fencing in front of the US Supreme Court as security tightens ahead of presidential inaugural events on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 17 January 2021 ((Reuters))

The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from a Nevada church fighting against local coronavirus restrictions on Monday, after lawyers for the state argued against claims that the safety measures were examples of religious discrimination.

Nevada attorneys noted in their argument to the high court that capacity limits enacted by the state’s Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak pertained not just to religious institutions, but a variety of businesses as well, ranging from theaters and casinos to restaurants and bars, according to NBC.

The court declined to hear the appeal in a one-line ruling on Monday, the news outlet reported, a noteworthy move after previously blocking similar coronavirus restrictions in New York last year, saying in a decision the 10-person cap on attendance singled out “houses of worship for especially harsh treatment.”

The Supreme Court previously refused the church’s request to step in via emergency injunction when the restrictions were first announced in June.

Nevada’s current restrictions limit capacity to 25 percent for most businesses and religious institutions. There have been more than 270,000 infections across the state since the outbreak began in the US last year, and at least 4,000 deaths, according to the latest tracking data.

Still, the Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley in western Nevada has continued to reject the safety measures, with attorneys for the church writing in a court document filed last week: “The First Amendment does not allow government officials to use COVID-19 as an excuse to treat churches and their worshippers worse than secular establishments and their patrons.”

Lawyers for the church told the Associated Press on Monday they plan to prepare a response to the Supreme Court’s refusal to take up their appeal.

Nationwide, there have been at least 420,000 deaths associated with the coronavirus pandemic, as well as more than 25 million infections. Some epidemiologists say more accurate estimates are likely far higher, with many infections — and even some deaths — going unreported throughout the crisis due to a lack of expansive testing.

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