In-Person Church Services To Resume With Safety Precautions
The City of Findlay and Hancock Public Health say they’re comfortable with church services resuming on May 17th if certain safety measures are implemented.
Throughout the pandemic religious gatherings have been exempt from the stay home order, and Mayor Christina Muryn says she’s been working closely with faith leaders to ensure they did what they could as a community to mitigate the spread of the virus.
The mayor points out that, ultimately, determining when a church would like to resume in-person services will be up to each individual church.
The recommended safety measures include limiting attendance to 50 percent of fire code capacity, encouraging at-risk populations to participate remotely and having everyone wear a face mask.
The full list is below and you can also get more details here.
RECOMMENDED SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR FAITH ORGANIZATIONS
1) Strongly encourage the at-risk population to watch or participate in the service remotely.
a. At-risk population are those who are 65 or older and/or those with chronic
lung disease; moderate to severe asthma; chronic heart disease; severe
obesity; diabetes; chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis; liver
disease; or weakened immune system. (Link to at-risk populations)
2) Limit attendance to 50% of fire code capacity
3) Equip ushers and greeters with gloves and masks.
a. Discourage hand shaking, etc. (Have ushers open doors to limit the
numbers of people touching handles.)
4) Keep childcare and Sunday School closed
5) Have hand sanitizer at doors for communal use
6) Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces before and after service
7) No communal food. (Coffee, donuts, etc.)
8) Request all attendees wear face coverings
9) Request all attendees check temperatures and not attend if showing any
symptoms of illness (Fever, shortness of breath, cough, or fatigue) Post signage
on doors.
10)Encourage social distancing (6ft + of separation.)
11)Encourage families to stay together. (i.e try to limit kids gathering with other
children)
12)Cover drinking fountains
13)Post signage about good hygiene in bathrooms (Poster)
14)Make sure bathrooms are properly stocked with soap and paper towels for
proper handwashing