Charlotte church holds another large gathering months after deadly COVID-19 outbreak

CHARLOTTE (WTVD) -- A Charlotte church that was at the center of a massive COVID-19 outbreak that left 11 people dead back in October held another large-scale event on Saturday, ABC-affiliates WSOC reports.

A WSOC reporter witnessed several cars parked in the United House of Prayer for All People(UHOP) parking lot as well as people filing into the church prior to the event.

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County officials told the church that it was a bad time to have a large event. However, United House of Prayer leaders told health officials that it would follow all necessary precautions and limit the number of people inside the church.

Mecklenburg County Public Health released the following statement:

"MCPH is aware of the events and have been in conversation with UHOP leadership. We explained that now is not the time for this type of event considering the extent of the pandemic in our community. We have been assured by church leadership that they are implementing all of the necessary precautions and limiting the numbers in the church at any given time."

On Saturday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 3,400 North Carolinians are in the hospital with COVID-19 and 6,892 people reported dead from complications with the virus.

"My grandfather got COVID, the healthiest man I knew... he died in three weeks' time on a ventilator alone. It's so important to me to let people know how incredibly real this virus is."

In October, more than 200 people contracted the virus and 11 people died following a weeklong convocation at the church.

WSOC reports that the gathering resulted in the county's largest COVID-19 outbreak.

Following the October outbreak, North Carolina health officials issued an order that barred the Charlotte church from holding in-person gatherings for two weeks.