Sydney: Church hosts service near pandemic hotspot; fined $3,600 for flouting COVID norms

On Monday, Australian authorities chastised a Sydney church for defying the city's COVID lockdown by hosting a 60-people service near a pandemic hotspot. The church is affiliated with Christ Embassy, an international religious organisation based in Lagos, Nigeria, that has a history of propagating conspiracy theories about COVID.

Police fined the organisation 5,000 Australian dollars

Police raided the Christ Embassy Sydney church on Sunday after receiving a tip from residents, fining the organisation 5,000 Australian dollars ($3,600), and handing 1,000 Australian dollars fines to 30 parishioners. Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales, said at a press conference that it is always "discouraging and disappointing" when people shamelessly take it upon themselves to oppose what the authority know works.

She also said that keeping people out of hospitals, ensuring that they are as safe and healthy as possible, is the key and they know the vaccine is having a significant impact. Stay-at-home orders have been issued for the whole metropolitan area of Sydney, as Australia's largest metropolis attempts to contain a Delta variant outbreak that has surpassed 800 new cases per day.

Residents are only permitted to leave the house to shop for necessities and for a limited number of other purposes. The church service, according to state deputy police commissioner Gary Worboys, was a "disappointing" occurrence. On Monday, videos from the church service were removed from the Christ Embassy Sydney's Facebook page.

The website of the Sydney church featured a video of Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlining in April 2020 that churches might broadcast or stream services and that anyone presenting such services should obey employment standards and social distancing procedures. Since then, the laws have been reinforced to prohibit all in-person services.

Chris Oyakhilome, a TV host is the leader of Christ Embassy

Chris Oyakhilome, a pastor, teacher, television host, and best-selling book of "Rhapsody of Realities," is the global Christ Embassy organization's leader. He is also the founder and president of Loveworld Inc, a Christian broadcasting and streaming network. In April, the British broadcasting regulator Ofcom concluded that Loveworld Ltd., which it claimed was linked to Christ Embassy, had broken the country's broadcasting code for the third time by making false and potentially damaging assertions concerning the coronavirus pandemic and vaccines.

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