DC denies church's request for vaccinated-only section

DC denies church’s request for vaccinated-only section

A recent request for a seating plan to include a vaccinated-only section which would be exempt from social distancing requirements has been denied by the District government.

WASHINGTON - A recent request for a seating plan to include a vaccinated-only section which would be exempt from social distancing requirements has been denied by the District government.

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The denial was first reported by bar news website BarredinDC.com.

Capitol Hill Baptist Church made the request, asking for a section it could seat at full-capacity if people proved their vaccination status.

In a letter dated April 14, health officials denied the request, stating that the seating arrangement does not comply with current CDC guidance.

The CDC has said that vaccinated people can associate with other vaccinated people or low-risk unvaccinated people without social distancing and masking safely in private settings, but has not updated the guidelines for public spaces.

A church pastor told FOX 5 it could not talk about the decision in detail because of legal concerns, but the pastor stressed the request was not for a section without masks.

According to the denial letter, it appears the seating arrangement for vaccinated individuals would not be in a totally separate building.

In New York some entertainment venues, including Madison Square Garden, are using vaccine passports to designate someone's vaccination status or recent negative test result.