Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 Confirmed At Queens Church As Public Services Go Online
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A parishioner who has tested positive for COVID-19 was among those attending mass last weekend in a church in Queens, reinforcing the call for the faithful to stay clear of public services amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Diocese of Brooklyn learned of the confirmed case that happened at the Incarnation Roman Catholic Church on March 8 in the Queens Village neighborhood.
That church is now closed and undergoing a deep cleaning and sanitization, church officials said.
Many churches across the Tri-State area were empty on Sunday with services canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
WATCH: Coronavirus Update: Local Houses Of Worship Plan For Quiet Sunday
The Archdiocese of New York and Newark both say worshippers are still able to come to church to partake in private prayer but that Sunday mass has been canceled for the foreseeable future, reports CBS2's Kiran Dhillon.
They say the decision was made out of an abundance of caution as the coronavirus continues to spread in our area.
With that sentiment in mind, the Archdiocese of New York says today's mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral will be live-streamed online. It is asking people to watch it there instead of coming to church.