“WE REFUSE EVERY LOCKDOWN”: SYDNEY CHURCH FINED FOR FLOUTING ORDER

Mon 23 August 2021:

On Monday, Australian authorities criticized a Sydney church for defying the city’s Covid-19 curfew by hosting a 60-person service near a pandemic hotspot.

The church is affiliated with Christ Embassy, an international religious organization based in Lagos, Nigeria, that has a history of propagating conspiracy theories about Covid-19.

Police raided the Christ Embassy Sydney church on Sunday after receiving a tip from residents, fining the organization 5,000 Australian dollars ($3,600) and handing Aus$1,000 fines to 30 parishioners.

According to Australian media, a Facebook-streamed sermon from a church in the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown on Sunday said: “We refuse every lockdown in our cities in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, we declare the lockdowns to be lifted.”

The state’s deputy police commissioner Gary Worboys said the church service was a “disappointing” event that would “anger, no doubt, a lot of people”.

Videos from the church service were no longer available Monday on the Christ Embassy Sydney’s Facebook page.

Stay-at-home orders have been issued for the whole metropolitan area of Sydney, as Australia’s largest metropolis attempts to contain a Delta variant outbreak that has surpassed 800 new cases per day.

Residents are only permitted to leave the house to shop for necessities, exercise, or for a limited number of other purposes.

The Sydney church’s website showed a video of Prime Minister Scott Morrison explaining in April 2020 that churches might broadcast or stream services and that those presenting such events should obey employment standards and social distancing protocols.

Since then, the laws have been reinforced to prohibit all in-person services.

(input with Agency)

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