Supreme Court blocks NY from enforcing Covid limits on churches

The court said the restrictions violate religious freedom and are not neutral because they “single out houses of worship." The U.S. Supreme Court.Drew Angerer / Getty Images file Nov. 26, 2020, 5:45 AM UTC The U.S. Supreme Court issued an injunction late Wednesday blocking New York’s governor from enforcing 10- and 25-person occupancy limits on religious institutions, granting a request from the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel. The state had told the court there was no need to act because the restrictions, which were adopted as a way to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, had recently been dialed back. The court apparently divided 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stephen Breyer Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissenting. In an unsigned majority opinion, the court said the restrictions would violate religious freedom and are not neutral because they “single out houses of worship for especially harsh treatment.” While religious institutions …