St Juliana Parish Coronavirus 19 Task Force
Patricia Wells, Coordinator, 318-445-7494-H
The following protocols are implemented using the best sanitation practices for our Church:
1. Secured Temp Meters taking temperature of everyone entering the Church.
2. Use hand sanitizers at sign-in desk in Church.
3. Removed all books.
4. Sanitizing the Church and restrooms with janitor's assistance.
5. Window ledges have Kleenex tissue for coughs and sneezers.
6. Social distancing.
7. Weekly sign in log of attendance and temperature.
CDC offers the following general considerations to help communities of faith discern how best to practice their beliefs while keeping their staff and congregations safe. Millions of Americans embrace worship as an essential part of life. For many faith traditions, gathering together for worship is at the heart of what it means to be a community of faith. But as Americans are now aware, gatherings present a risk for increasing spread of COVID-19 during this Public Health Emergency. CDC offers these suggestions for faith communities to consider and accept, reject, or modify, consistent with their own faith traditions, in the course of preparing to reconvene for in-person gatherings while still working to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This guidance is not intended to infringe on rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or any other federal law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA). The federal government may not prescribe standards for interactions of faith communities in houses of worship, and in accordance with the First Amendment, no faith community should be asked to adopt any mitigation strategies that are more stringent than the mitigation strategies asked of similarly situated entities or activities.
In addition, we note that while many types of gatherings are important for civic and economic well-being, religious worship has particularly profound significance to communities and individuals, including as a right protected by the First Amendment. State and local authorities are reminded to take this vital right into account when establishing their own re-opening plans.
Update your emergency operations plan with the help of your local public health department, emergency operations coordinator or planning team, and other relevant partners to include COVID-19 planning. Be sure to include plans on how to protect staff and congregants at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Designate a staff person to be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns. Staff and congregants should know who this person is and how to contact them if they become sick or are around others diagnosed with COVID-19. This person should also be aware of state or local regulatory agency policies related to group gatherings and other applicable state and local public health guidance and directives.
Identify space that can be used to separate sick people, if needed, and make plans for safely transporting them to their home or a healthcare facility, notifying the health department, and cleaning and disinfecting the facility after they have left.
Develop an emergency communication plan pdf icon[PDF – 1 page] for distributing timely and accurate information to staff, congregants, and others who use your facility.
Identify actions to take if you need to temporarily adjust operations, and be sure to account for staff and congregants who need extra precautions.
Promote the practice of everyday preventive actions:
Find freely available CDC print and digital resources that promote these preventive actions on CDC’s COVID-19 communications main page.
Have COVID-19 prevention supplies available for staff and others who come to your facility (e.g., soap, water, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, tissues, no-touch trash cans). Keep a few disposable cloth face coverings in stock for those who need them.
Plan for staff absences by developing flexible attendance and sick-leave policies, plan for alternative coverage, and monitor and track COVID-19-related staff absences.
Offer support to groups of people stigmatized by COVID-19 and speak out against negative behaviors to help counter stigma and discrimination.
If there are people in your community who have COVID-19:
Stay informed about local COVID-19 information and updates; check for updates from local health and other authorities.
Put your emergency operations and communication plans into action, including notifying local health officials and alerting staff and congregants who may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Communicate with your staff, congregants, and others using your facility if you need to adjust operations.
Encourage staff and congregants to talk with people they trust about their concerns and how they are feeling. Consider posting signs displaying the national distress hotline: 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746.
Emphasize the everyday preventive actions listed above through intensified communications with staff, congregants, and others who use your facility.
If someone becomes sick while at your facility, separate them into an isolated room and safely transport them home or to a healthcare facility as soon as possible. Notify the health department and follow CDC guidance on cleaning and disinfecting the building where the individual was present.
During this unique time, many of us are asking ourselves, "What can I do?". In times of uncertainty it is easy to fill our hearts with worry and anxiety. We pray that you take the suggested precautions for health and safety at this time, and then turn to God in prayer, He is always with us.
What you can do:
A single act of love makes the soul return to life.
St. Maximilian Kolbe