A storefront church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, has been fined for failing to comply with city and state COVID-19 regulations, according to city officials.
Iglesia Pentecostal Levantate y Anda was issued a fine of $1,800 by the New Bedford Health Department after an isolated outbreak of the coronavirus was traced back to the church, city officials said.
Under the state's guidelines for places of worship, city officials said the Acushnet Avenue church failed to comply with workplace safety standards, exceeded its occupancy limit, failed to notify the Health Department of an employee testing positive for COVID-19, failed to communicate with employees regarding symptomatic employees and failed to report COVID-19 at the location to the Health Department.
The violation orders were issued Sept. 8.
New Bedford is among the state's 13 communities for the highest-risk of the coronavirus. Other communities in Wednesday's report by the Massachusetts Department of Health are Chatham, Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Methuen, Monson, Revere and Winthrop.
