New York is pressing forward with targeted coronavirus restrictions on designated areas as the state battles a surge of new infections this autumn. But behind the scenes, New York state has quietly told a federal appeals court they will not be enforcing two key capacity restrictions on religious institutions following a Supreme Court ruling.

The state has said they will abide by the Supreme Court’s injunction and will not impose 10- and 25-person capacity limits on houses of worship in zones across New York, according to an order from Judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.