As of January 4, 2022, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Office will be on modified lockdown, out of an abundance of caution for our staff due to the ongoing Omicron wave of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County and beyond. Most staff will continue their work virtually, rather than onsite, for the foreseeable future.
COVID-19 update
The EPA Conference places the health and welfare of our members and the surrounding community as our first priority in making decisions around building occupancy. Therefore, we must also suspend our hosting of meetings at the Conference Office until further notice.
Recommendations for Churches:
Congregations that reopen or remain open must be committed to the goal of resisting spread of the virus by following all state and city guidelines. And they should responsibly implement a safety plan approved by their church council. Please continue to monitor COVID pandemic-related information on both the www.PA.gov and CDC websites for their latest guidance.
Due to the increase in the Omicron variant among communities, the EPA Conference leadership recommends masking in populated spaces or with vulnerable populations. Worship and work from home options are recommended for vulnerable populations and in communities with high COVID transmission.
EPA Conference leadership asks that churches continue to monitor the case counts and positivity rates in their counties and communities to guide them in deciding whether and how to make their buildings available for activities. In addition:
Symptoms: Urge persons to not enter churches or attend gatherings when experiencing flu-like symptoms. Also, note that Omicron variant symptoms may differ from Delta variant symptoms and may not include fever, respiratory distress, or loss of taste and smell senses. Typical cold symptoms–sore throat, cough, nasal sniffles, sneezes and congestion–may indicate Omicron infection, although it is too early for that finding to be conclusive.
Masks: In populated spaces or with vulnerable populations, masking is recommended, even for fully vaccinated persons.
Worship: Continue social distancing of 6 feet or more among people who don't live together. Also, consider refraining from choral or congregational singing unless mask-wearing, social distancing or other safety protocols are implemented.
Communion: Pre-packaged, sanitized communion packets continue to be the best option.
Small Groups/Bible Studies/Meetings: We recommend maintaining online/hybrid options for high-risk individuals.
Church Offices: Work from home options should be considered when possible, especially in communities with high transmission.
General Building Safety Practices:
- Post signs recommending or requiring masks, indicating symptoms and urging people to stay home and seek medical attention if they have symptoms.
- Maintain plenty of tissues, soap, hand sanitizer and disposable paper towels for drying hands.
- Obtain and maintain contact information from anyone who enters the building to enable contact tracing in case a transmission of COVID is reported.
- If you become aware that someone in the church or a building-user is infected with COVID-19, put your communication and contact tracing plan into action.
CDC recommends a step-by-step process for persons infected with COVID:
If an employee or member tests positive for COVID-19, they should follow this course regardless of vaccination status:
- Stay home for at least five days.
- If they have no symptoms or their symptoms are resolving after five days, they can leave their house. They should continue to wear a mask around others for five additional days.
- If they have a fever, they should continue to stay home until the fever resolves.
If an employee or member has “close contact” with a COVID-19 case, their course of action depends on their vaccination status.
For employees or members who are unvaccinated, who haven’t received a booster, or who received their second dose of Moderna/Pfizer more than six months ago or their single dose of Johnson & Johnson more than two months ago:
- Stay home for five days. After that, they should continue to wear a mask around others for five additional days.
- If they can’t quarantine, they must wear a mask for 10 days.
- They should get a COVID-19 test on day five, if possible.
- If they develop symptoms, they should get a test and stay home.
For employees or members who have received a booster shot after receiving a two-dose Moderna/Pfizer vaccine or a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or who received their second dose of Moderna/Pfizer less than six months ago or their single dose of Johnson & Johnson less than two months ago:
- Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
- They should get a COVID-19 test on day five, if possible.
- If they develop symptoms, they should get a test and stay home.
We highly recommend that everyone consider becoming fully vaccinated, including booster shots. We pray that all church and conference members and their loved ones will be safe and healthy, and we pray that those who may become infected will recover fully from any resulting illnesses.
This article is republished from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference NEWSpirit newsletter.