June 8, 2021
WEUC COVID-19 Response Letter No. 10
Dear Willowdale Emmanuel United Church members,
We trust you are doing well considering this unprecedented time.
On Monday June 7th, the Ontario Government announced that it will ease restrictions for weddings, funerals and religious services across the province. These changes come into effect on Friday, June 11th.
New provincial guidelines will allow for communities of faith to hold indoor worship gatherings for up to 15 percent of total capacity, or outdoors up to a capacity where all participants are able to maintain 2 metres of distancing.
While the government has indicated that places of worship may gather in-house with a 15% capacity, the Emergency Response Team has made the decision to limit the total number to 35 people (30 attendees and 5 staff/worship participants) to gather for in-house worship starting Sunday June 13th at 10:30 a.m.
Please note that the move to in-person worship is for those who feel comfortable doing so. For those who do not feel comfortable attending the traditional format service, the live-stream and printed options will allow those to still feel part of our church community.
Beyond the letter of the law, as people of faith, WEUC is called to uphold the whole community and contribute wherever we can to well-being and safety. Extensive protocols will be put in place to safely re-open our church and include the following:
1. Anyone entering the WEUC building must wear a mask at all times while inside the building. Exceptions include people who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons.
2. No Fellowship - no sharing of food or drinks.
3. No indoor singing, choir service, chanting, use of wind instruments.
4. No Communion and other close contact activities – no passing of the peace.
5. No social gatherings before and after service.
6. No sharing and distribution of materials such (hymn books, bibles, bulletins, mics etc.)
7. No passing of collection/offering plates. Offering plates/box available at entry.
8. No Sunday school, regular childcare and children’s programming.
9. Attendance to be taken on Sundays by WEUC volunteers for contact tracing as recommended by Toronto Public Health.
10. One access only is to be used for entering and exiting the building. The designated access is the Kenneth Avenue Sanctuary Doors (Narthex). All other building access points are closed.
11. HEALTH SCREENING FOR COVID-19 SYMPTOMS at point of entry (Kenneth Avenue Sanctuary Doors - Narthex) to include temperature checks, hand sanitizing and review policy #14 with all members/visitors before they are allowed into WEUC building.
12. No wandering around the church building – only areas that are in use by WEUC for worship purposes are to be utilized. We are encouraging limited use of washrooms to limit contact of high-touch areas.
13. Social distancing measures must be adhered to – 2 metres apart in fixed pew seating unless from same family. (see green marker on pew seat back)
14. Remind members that if they have any of the following symptoms:
· fever, cough, difficulty breathing
· sore throat, trouble swallowing
· runny noses; loss of taste or smell
· not feeling well: nausea, vomiting diarrhea OR
· have come in close contact with someone who is sick or has confirmed COVID-19 in the past 14 days
· have returned from travel outside Canada in the past 14 days
For church administration enquiries, or for pastoral emergencies, please contact our office administrator:· Lina Posa weunitedchurch@hotmail.com 416-225-2309
Sincerely,
WEUC Council Co-chairs
In Hack Jhung
inhackjhung@yahoo.com
Bill Myhill
bill@idahinc.com
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Covid-19 Response Letter No 10 (Korean)
Covid-19 Response Letter No 10 (English)
Covid 19 Response Letter No. 9 (Korean)
