3 members of Staunton church test positive for COVID-19

Three members of the same church in Staunton have tested positive for COVID-19.

Pastor Eric Brown, with Faith Baptist Church in Staunton, confirmed to WHSV on Monday that three members of their congregation have received positive test results for the novel coronavirus.

Brown said they all self-isolated two weeks ago after two of the three returned from North Carolina.

He believes those two likely contracted the virus out-of-state while at a youth meeting in North Carolina the week of March 12.

That's the same event that Kenny Baldwin, a northern Virginia pastor, attended before testing positive.

The third member likely contracted the virus from one of the two that picked it up in North Carolina, according to Brown.

Brown told WHSV their church had six members at the North Carolina meeting — but only three people have tested positive.

They self-isolated themselves two weeks ago, so the risk of community transmission in our area is believed to be low.

Each of the three is doing alright, but is weak and recovering from the virus.

Brown said the last in-person service the church held was on March 15. Since then, like most churches, they've been doing online services.

Following the positive test results, the entire church will be sanitized, but it will not be reopening any time soon in accordance with Gov. Northam's orders on social distancing.

Dr. Laura Kornegay, with the Central Shenandoah Health District, confirmed to WHSV on Sunday that

. Two of the cases are listed in Augusta County and one of them is listed in Staunton.

They're three out of 1,020 cases across Virginia as a whole.