Church services resume as Montana takes first step to reopen

By MATTHEW BROWN

Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Montana took its first, halting step toward reopening on Sunday as churches were able to resume services and a general stay-at-home order expired.

While other states have been extending restrictions amid the continuing spread of the coronavirus, Montana is among those that are beginning to loosen rules in hopes of restoring battered economies and regaining some normalcy.

At Christ the King Lutheran Church in Billings, Pastor Ryan Wendt said the church was mixing faith with common sense precautions. Every other pew was being kept empty to comply with social distancing guidelines and elderly and medically-vulnerable members of the congregation were advised to stay home.

“This is God’s house. We are not doing frivolous, needless things. Not in a weird way, we simply trust that God is going to protect us and provide for us,” Wendt said.

But some religious houses stayed shuttered as their leaders expressed worry that returning too soon could put people at risk.

“We’ve been keeping our building clean and open and sanitized, but we’re not ready now. We just want to do a little more,” said Beth Rager with the Open Bible Christian Center in Billings, which plans to re-open in May.

The state as of Saturday had 445 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths. Most of those sickened are reported to have recovered and the daily number of new cases has dropped dramatically since late March.

During the first phase of Montana’s reopening, which has no set timeline, people over age 65 and those with underlying health conditions are asked to continue to stay at home.

Gyms, pools, movie theaters and bowling alleys will remain closed. Residents are still asked to minimize non-essential travel and to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning to the state.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and trouble breathing. Most develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal