Worshippers, Churches Fined After Holding Services Despite Lockdown Orders

Worshippers line up to enter Westminster Cathedral for Sunday Mass on the first Sunday since COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were eased to allow for communal prayer, in London on July 5, 2020. Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images

As pandemic restrictions intensify across much of the country amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, some churches are defying lockdown orders and receiving hefty fines in return.

At least three churches in British Columbia held services over the weekend, despite the province’s ban on all in-person faith-related gatherings introduced in November.