California Governor Gavin Newsom has denied any culpability in closing churches and other places of worship while allowing Hollywood movie and TV production to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with Los Angeles’ KABC-TV, Newsom said the state had “no idea” of Hollywood’s activities, adding that the decisions to shut down churches were driven by overwhelming medical data. He further defended the decision to allow certain productions to resume, noting that the industry had put in safety protocols and mitigation strategies to limit the spread of the virus. Newsom has also insisted that religious services remain among the state’s lowest-priority activities and warned that if the placement of safety protocols weren’t adequate, services could again be suspended.
