At least three people who attended events at Westmore Church of God have died from COVID-19, church officials say.
Kelvin Page, lead pastor at Westmore, said in a Facebook video that Frank Cunningham, 73, and Dr. Jimmy Bilbo, 89, died from COVID-19 after attending a service on June 21.
“This horrendous virus attacked and we lost two,” Page said in the video. “Both of these men were special men who were greatly appreciated by the Westmore family. And we have learned from this horrendous virus that we must do all we can do, all we can do, to protect our vulnerable.”
In an email Thursday night, Daniel Clanton, executive pastor and Westmore’s general counsel, said a third elderly member of the church who was at the June 21 service has died. A fourth church member has also died, Clanton said, but church leaders believe that member was not at the services.
The church in Cleveland has drawn regional attention after its June 21 service and a June 22 regional meeting became superspreader events for the coronavirus in the region and the Church of God denomination. Last week, Page said his church stopped tracking the number of people in the congregation who were infected.