The governor of Kentucky is enforcing a mandatory quarantine for anyone who attends a mass gathering on Easter Sunday, in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
On Good Friday leading up to Easter, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that anyone who attended a religious service, or any large group gathering, to celebrate Easter would be subject to a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.
Beshear said the state will enforce this by recording the license plates of anyone they see going to such services. He said as of Friday, there were at least six churches considering having services.
Local health officials will be informed about the people who attended the services, and notices for the mandatory quarantine will be delivered in person.
Beshear said, "We know that the weeks or the months ahead will be difficult ... This is the only way we can ensure that your decision doesn’t kill someone else." But Sen. Rand Paul questioned the decision, tweeting, "Quarantining someone for being Christian on Easter Sunday? Someone needs to take a step back here."
As of Sunday, there were more than 1,800 cases of the coronavirus in Kentucky and 94 deaths.
