Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) undercut his own stay-at-home order by exempting religious services from that necessary step to slow the spread of the coronavirus .

DeSantis issued the statewide order Wednesday afternoon, telling Floridians to limit movements and personal interactions outside the house to only those deemed essential. The order followed mounting pressure on DeSantis to do something after hed said days earlier that he was waiting for the White House coronavirus task force to recommend such an order. In March, DeSantis had resisted calls to shut down beaches as college students from across the country gathered in Florida for spring break.

If the governor had finally decided to take the threat seriously, his order carved out a large exception for religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and other houses of worship, which are deemed to be essential business and thus exempt from the stay-at-home mandate.

Florida has nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The actual number of cases in the state and across the country is likely much higher than reported, but a lack of testing and a White House that has repeatedly downplayed the threat have led to insufficient data on just how many people are infected.

DeSantis labeling of in-person church services as essential could provide a loophole for Florida megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, who was charged with two misdemeanors on Monday after he held services despite a county order not to.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued a similar stay-at-home order allowing church services in his state to continue.

The negative effects of gathering for religious services during a pandemic have already been demonstrated by a French megachurch that became a hotspot for the spread of the coronavirus.