Professor Joins Amicus Brief on COVID-19 Restrictions Case

Gavin Yamey, professor of the practice of global health and public policy, is one of four public health experts who signed an amicus curiae brief submitted in a court case over COVID-19 restrictions in California.  Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry, Inc. are suing California Governor Gavin Newsom over his executive orders banning indoor services over 25% capacity and prohibiting indoor singing and chanting.

The brief was submitting to assist the court in understanding what scientists have learned about the spread and control of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. It outlines how the virus is transmitted, the importance of viral load, the role of asymptomatic carriers and the elevated levels of virus released by singing. These all indicate that large indoor gathering, such as indoor religious services, combine these risk factors and fuel the spread. The brief supports California’s data-driven response as necessary to slow the spread of the virus.

The other signers are Gregg Gonsalves, assistant professor at Yale School of Public Health, William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, and Yvonne Maldonado, professor of pediatrics-infectious diseases and epidemiology and population health at Stanford University.