SCOTUS's ruling is a temporary one, granting the plaintiffs an injunction that temporarily halts Governor Cuomo's executive order. The Court's unsigned per curiam opinion called the plaintiffs' need for relief "essential," and noted that the religious groups bringing suit have a strong likelihood of success on the merits. SCOTUS agreed with plaintiffs that the COVID-19 restrictions "single out houses of worship for especially harsh treatment."
The Court explained the facts underlying its decision, specifically referring to testimony given before the District Court by a health department official, who testified that "a large store in Brooklyn that could 'literally have hundreds of people shopping there on any given day,'" while religious gatherings were limited to 10 or 25 people. The Court also distinguished the New York cases from other cases previously before it regarding other COVID-19 measures.
"[The New York Restrictions] are far more restrictive than any COVID-related regulations that have previously come before the Court, much tighter than those adopted by many other jurisdictions hard-hit by the pandemic, and far more severe than has been shown to be required to prevent the spread of the virus at the applicants' services."The Court suggested that less restrictive measures could have been used to combat the pandemic, and even went so far as to suggest that a better rule might have been tied to the specific congregation in question.
Comment: Cuomo's response? You see? He's already done violating the Constitution. No big deal.