FILE ART- Bethel School of Natural Ministry credit: BSSM.net REDDING, Calif. - Health officials in the California county with the highest rate of new coronavirus infections on Wednesday criticized an evangelical church leader who mocked face masks as “worthless” in a social media video, calling her comments infuriating misinformation that people should ignore.The criticism was directed at Beni Johnson, a high-ranking official at the Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., a city at the epicenter of a county-wide spike in coronavirus cases.
A college affiliated with the church has seen hundreds of cases that have helped drive a spike in the county.“I would really encourage people not to pay attention to that misinformation,” county health officer.