San Bernardino and Riverside counties will permit drive-in religious services for Easter, decisions made the same week a nonprofit threatened to sue if the counties didn’t withdraw orders to prohibit such services.

According to a Riverside County news release sent out Friday, "drive-up church services that practice social distancing will be allowed this weekend," but will be prohibited after Sunday.

A day before, the county’s spokesperson Brooke Federico told the Press-Enterprise that officials had no plans to change its order which prohibited the services.

On Wednesday, San Bernardino County officials clarified their own order that required religious services to be "electronic only," saying organizations that had already planned drive-in services should proceed "and make every effort to prevent contact between congregants."

That same day The Center for American Liberty and Dhillon Law Group sent both counties letters demanding that the orders be rescinded or face possible legal action.

San Bernardino County spokesperson David Wert told the Daily Press the letter had not prompted officials there to clarify the order as it had been sent later Wednesday, after the order was revised.

He also said drive-in services would again be prohibited after Sunday.

Both counties have banned gatherings of people to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which had infected over 20,000 people in California as of Friday and killed over 580.

Coronavirus outbreaks have been linked to religious organizations, such as a church in Sacramento where more than six dozen people tested positive, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The demand letters sent by Harmeet Dhillon, who also acts as CEO for The Center of American Liberty, claim the counties’ orders violate the First Amendment, specifically the clause that prevents the government from prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

She claims the orders don’t "make exceptions for congregates taking extreme protective measures, such as in-person services in which participants are separated by more than six feet, etc."

"Simply put, there was essentially no effort to narrowly tailor the Order so as not to violate individuals’ rights to religious freedom," Dhillon wrote in both letters. "Instead, the County proclaimed its draconian restrictions, essentially blanket-banning participation in religious services for an indefinite period of time, while at the same time allowing other necessary and important movement."

The letters also challenged both counties requiring the use of face coverings when leaving homes.

The counties’ orders do allow outings for necessary activities, such as buying groceries, and for employees who are deemed essential to commute to their work.

Mark Trammell, American Liberty’s executive director, said some leeway should be available for religious services as well.

"In California and in these counties you can go have a curbside pickup, maybe at the liquor store or at the marijuana dispensary … but you can’t go to the church next door, keep your car window up, and participate in a church service," he said Friday. "We feel like that’s an unconstitutional flaw in these counties’ orders."

The letters gave both counties a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday to withdraw the orders.

Although county officials later allowed drive-in services to continue through Easter, Trammell said the Center would still be exploring potential lawsuits.

On Friday, the Center said in a statement it had "scored an early victory in pursuit of religious liberty" after receiving a letter from San Bernardino County Counsel Michelle Blakemore.

In the letter, Blakemore said that the county’s clarification of the order "provides that faith based organizations or individuals, face no threat of citations or other punishment for their faith based activities over the Easter weekend wherein every effort is made to prevent contact between congregants and adherance to social distancing guidance."

The Center said the county’s response promised "that all religious services, not just drive-in services, can take place so long as responsible social distancing measures are implemented."

According to county spokesperson Wert, this interpretation was incorrect.

"The prohibition against in-person, traditional indoor gatherings is in effect and has been in effect since March," he said. "Under the law, those things are not allowed."

Wert said Blakemore’s statement was only meant to be applied to the allowed drive-in services during the Easter weekend.

In her letter, Blakemore said the county and public health officer would be issuing further clarifications "as necessary to address the threat to public health while allowing for public encounters such as religious services that practice social distancing."

She added: "Should you choose to proceed forward despite the lack of need for court intervention, please advise the federal court that the County will be opposing any such temporary restraining order filing."

Martin Estacio may be reached at MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com or at 760-955-5358. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.