A priest in the Washington D.C. area has tested positive for the coronavirus and officials are now advising anyone who attended his services to self-quarantine.
CBS affiliate WUSA is reporting that Rev. Timothy Cole attended three services last Sunday at Christ Church Georgetown, which were attended by 550 people. During those services, Cole shook hands with many of those people and handed out communion to them.
BREAKING: A D.C. priest has Coronavirus. He offered communion and shook hands with more than 500 worshippers last week and on February 24th. All worshippers who visited the Christ Church in Georgetown must self-quarantine. Church is cancelled for the first time since the 1800's
— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) March 9, 2020
In a message posted to Twitter this Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recommended that anyone who visited the church between February 24 through March 3 should self-quarantine for 14 days.
“Visitors to Christ Church, Georgetown Episcopal on Feb 24th, and between Feb 28th and Mar 3rd could’ve been exposed to COVID-19, and DC Health recommends that anyone who visited on those dates isolate themselves at home for 14 days from the last time they visited the church,” he tweeted.
In the meantime, Christ Church has suspended all services and all other church-related activities until further notice.
Featured image via Christ Church Georgetown (Facebook)
