The following is a summary of requirements and guidance contained in the Team’s letter of Nov. 30, 2021:
Full Vaccination (including boosters) is:
- Required for lectors, preachers, choir members, altar assistants/servers, ushers, and DHOs (Designated Health Officers)
- Strongly recommended (expected) for all who enter the church building.
Continuous Masking (fitted over nose and mouth) and Distancing (6 or more feet apart) is:
- Required at all indoor church events.
- This includes both choirs and congregations – masks on, including throughout all singing.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE NEED FOR CONTINUOUS MASKING:
- At the full discretion of the local clergy or senior wardens in congregations without clergy, lectors may remove masks while reading lessons provided there are at least 12 feet of social distance between the lector and all other persons. No one is required to remove their mask for reading.
- At the full discretion of the local clergy or senior wardens in congregations without clergy, preachers may remove masks while preaching provided there is at least 12 feet of social distance between the preacher and all other persons. No one is required to remove their mask for preaching.
- Masks may be removed momentarily to consume Communion while socially distanced in pews, chairs, or other location.
NOTE: the requirements for continuous masking and distancing mean that indoor eating and drinking/coffee hours and not allowed at present.
Attention to air quality is required.
There are many ways to accomplish this, and methods are described in the full letter.