COME IN: WE ARE OPEN! Just as many of
us hoped that the Covid-19 pandemic was passing, a second wave seemed to appear on the horizon. For many of us the lockdown of a few months appeared in our minds as something more like an eon! And now we are faced with further situations! Churches and other places of worship faced the challenge by introducing on- line services. Universally, just about every church, school and organisation ventured into the world of video conferencing which many had never used previously. The American founded Zoom software surfaced to its most highly international prominence ever in its nine- year history. Not surprisingly, the financial markets recently reported that the Zoom company profits escalated well beyond any expectations prior to lockdown. And now, as here at the MEN (Maintenance and Equipment News for Churches and Schools) office we are preparing to go to press, schools are re-opening and, although some churches have already re-opened, many places of worship have yet to do so. To assist those now planning to re-open, Eric Thorn has supplied a brief review of H. M. Government’s guidance and requirements. Please bear in mind that this article reflects Eric’s personal understanding of the English regulations which may vary in different countries. Please check the requirements to ensure you are following the correct procedures for your venue.
IN recent weeks, many retail shops and other businesses have been displaying this notice on their doors: Come In, we are open! It would be grand to observe a similar sign outside churches and other places of worship, of all denominations and beliefs, who were obliged to temporarily close in early 2020 when the Covid-19 epidemic hit hard and brought about an unprecedented lockdown. Despite the threat of a second wave, the good news is that several churches have already re-opened, but I am advised that many have yet to do so.
Now, it so happens that I have been approached by some chapels requesting advice on how to put into practice the requirements for re-opening. Queries that have been put to me, for example, are important issues such as where to obtain relevant signage, sanitising hand gel, face masks and so on. At the close of the feature, I provide details for such supplies. But first, a peek at some of the most important notes from the U.K. Government’s legal specifications.
The legal bit
To see for yourself the full extent of the legal requirements, please visit
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid- 19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the- pandemic-from-4-july. Please also check for the latest updates on
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance- for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from- 4-july/special-religious-services-and- gatherings-covid-19-checklist. Before any place of worship is re- opened, for any reason, the legislation requires that a risk assessment has been
undertaken. Guidance for embarking on a risk assessment together with a suitable template will be found on
https://www.hse.gov.uk/ simple-health-safety/risk/
risk-assessment-template-and-examples.htm. There are special legal restrictions on the use of so-called shared
items:
• Individuals should be prevented from touching or kissing objects that are handled communally. Barriers and/or clear signage should be put in place where necessary to avoid this taking place.
• Individuals should also avoid touching property belonging to others such as shoes which, if removed, should be placed and collected by their owner while adhering to social distancing principles.
• Reusable and communal resources such as prayer mats, service sheets, religious texts or devotional material must be removed from use. Single use alternatives may be provided on condition that they are removed and disposed of by the worshipper. Effectively this means no Bibles, hymn books, service books, and so on.
• Items owned by the individual to aid worship such as a prayer mat or religious text, may be brought in but must be removed again by the worshipper.
There are special restrictions on music and singing:
• Activities such as singing, chanting, shouting and/or playing of instruments that are blown into should be specifically avoided by congregations/worshippers. This is because there is a possible
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