COVID-19 Task Force Recommendation
From Russet Morrow, VP & Chair of COVID-19 TASK FORCE
While the following recommendations have not yet been approved by the Executive Board, they will be discussed/approved at our next Board meeting on Tuesday, January 11.
The Task Force met this past Monday night. New COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts were over 10,000+ on Monday. As you read the following recommendations, please keep in mind that yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) new cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts was OVER 26,600+.
After a lot of discussion, the Task Force voted to make only a few changes to our COVID-19 protocol for in person Sunday services but STRONGLY RECOMMENDS watching the service over ZOOM rather than attending in person.
We have a responsibility to our staff as well our community to make the best recommendations that we can for our entire church community. The Task Force may recommend further changes to our protocol if the numbers of new COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket.
Here are the recommendations we are making to the Executive Board:
- The Sanctuary will continue to be opened for Sunday services as it was this past Sunday. The gold ribbons will continue to be used to block off half of each pew, such that the seating will be in a zigzag pattern with family “pods” seated together. Please, no moving or sitting on the gold ribbons.
- N95, KN94, KN95, or double masking is strongly encouraged. We have purchased N95 masks for our volunteers and the D&Ds will be able to offer them to those that attend “in-person” until people have time to purchase their own.
- Reservations: The Task Force believes that we should ask people to make a reservation to attend in person each Sunday. Since we are encouraging ZOOM attendance, the reservations may not be necessary but it might help if we need to notify anyone of COVID-19 exposure. Please watch for an announcement with a link in the next newsletter and in future Orders of Service if the Executive Board approves this recommendation.
These are the recommendations the Task Force is making and would like the Executive Board to approve. Hopefully, by the end of January the COVID-19 numbers will significantly decrease.