Health authorities in Washington, D.C., are advising hundreds of worshippers who just recently visited a local Episcopal church to self-quarantine after the parish’s rector tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the unique coronavirus.
Rev. Timothy Cole, leader of Christ Church, Georgetown, determined himself as a confirmed unique coronavirus client in a letter to congregants on Sunday He received the medical diagnosis about a week after he took part in Sunday services participated in by around 550 individuals on March 1, including one service in which he assisted distribute Holy Communion.
Parishioners who had contact with Cole have a “ medium danger” of exposure to the new coronavirus, according to Anjali Talwalkar, senior deputy director for the community health administration at the D.C. Health Department. Cole is the city’s very first recognized coronavirus patient.
The department is calling on people who visited Christ Church on Feb. 24 and in between Feb. 28 and March 3rd to isolate themselves for 14 days from the last time they went to the church.
” That is when our case was symptomatic,” Talwalkar said at a press conference on Monday morning “So anybody who was potentially exposed during that time, out of care and best practices for disease control, that’s the suggestion.”
Cole is currently in stable condition at a local medical facility, church spokesperson Rob Volmer informed HuffPost.
In his letter, the priest prompted his congregants to follow the CDC’s coronavirus avoidance guidelines
” There is no requirement to panic,” the rector wrote.
Cole went back to the capital from a conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on Feb. 22, Volmer said. The rector felt ill on Feb. 24 but began feeling much better later in the week, going to an all-day church council retreat on Feb.28
Cole “felt great” the following Sunday, March 1, Volmer said. The rector took part in services that day, giving out Communion at the 11: 15 a.m. service. Cole also urged his parishio