Dozens test positive for COVID-19 after Boston Christmas services

Dozens of Massachusetts churchgoers reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus after attending Christmas services last month.

Genesis Community Church in Woburn, Mass., held four services on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, which required an RSVP and masks to be worn. However, more than 40 people contracted the virus after attending the services, according to the New York Times.

Lead Pastor Michael Davis said that the church operated at limited capacity and required reservations in order “to do accurate and complete contact tracing of everyone who was in the building,” the newspaper reported.

“The average attendance at each gathering was 105 per service, which is 35 percent of our building occupancy,” he told the Times.

Davis confirmed to the newspaper that he tested positive for the virus himself, but is on the road to recovery.

A total of 44 people tested positive for the virus after attending the Christmas services, the Times reported. Those impacted included 32-year-old Tara Vocino, who said she attended service on Dec. 23 and tested positive for the virus despite wearing a mask.

“It feels like there has been a knife in my mouth, and I’ve lost all sense of taste and smell,” Vocino said describing her symptoms. She also told the Times that she feels extremely tired and sleeps nearly 16 hours a day.

Davis reported the outbreak to the Woburn Board of Health within 24 hours of learning of the first five cases. The church is currently helping the board with contact tracing and has postponed in-person services through January, according to multiple reports.

Massachusetts has reported a total of 79,406 active COVID-19 cases within the last 21 days and a total of 12,464 confirmed deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard.