Should religious gatherings be banned in order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic?

In November 2020 the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the State of New York from imposing limits on attendance at religious services to combat Covid-19. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America, an Orthodox Jewish organization, alleged that the limits violated their First Amendment rights of religious exercise. The court found it troubling that things such as acupuncture facilities, campgrounds, garages, as well as many whose services are not limited to those that can be regarded as essential, such as all plants manufacturing chemicals and microelectronics and all transportation facilities. Four Supreme Court Justices who opposed the ruling wrote that the Court should not “play a deadly game in second guessing the expert judgment of health officials.”