NSW Health has asked the organisers of a Hillsong youth camp to immediately stop singing and dancing at the event after a video of attendees partying without wearing masks sparked public outrage.
Amid music festival and concert cancellations due to the Omicron wave,the megachurch was caught holding a three-day summer camp near Newcastle,north of Sydney,where attendees sang and danced maskless.
Under the state’sPublic Health Order,singing and dancing is prohibited at music festivals,hospitality venues,nightclubs,entertainment facilities and major recreation facilities.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said while the order does not apply to religious services,it does apply to major recreation facilities.
“This event is clearly in breach of both the spirit and intent of the order,which is in place to help keep the community safe,” he said.
A major recreation facility is defined in thePublic Health Order to mean a building or place used for large-scale sporting or recreation activities that are attended by large numbers of people,whether regularly or periodically.
Hillsong defended holding the event,saying it was “not similar to a music festival in any way”.
“Our camps involve primarily outdoor recreational activities including sports and games,” it said.
“We follow strict COVID procedures and adhere to government guidelines.”
It said the video of attendees singing and dancing represented “only a small part of the program,and any singing is only a small part of each service”.