The congregation has voted to make masks optional in the church's nave and in all other areas of the building.   

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You are kindly asked to wear a well fitting mask if you serve in the chancel as. . . *

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• keyboardist, assisting minister, lector (read the lessons), acolyte/communion assistant, or on the altar guild team.

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SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is an airborne virus that moves through the air like smoke and can linger for several hours. Following CDC guidelines regarding the importance of ventilation and air cleaning (the link may no longer be functional in the new HHS regime), windows will be open throughout the year as temperatures allow and HEPA standard air filters will be running in the nave, chancel and social hall. Our worship space has a high ceiling and good access to fresh air, but the building is not equipped with a modern HVAC system. 

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If you have been exposed or think you may have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), please stay home, test and REST. Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) negatives are less reliable since the virus has been allowed to mutate and variants have become "smarter," so test several times over a period of days. If you can't avoid going out, such as to work because you have no paid sick leave or your employer makes it difficult for you to take time off, please wear a well fitting N95 respirator or KN95/KF94 mask* to protect others whether you have symptoms or not. According to the Yale School of Public Health, 49% of infections are caused by asymptomatic people. One does not develop immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and repeated infections with different variants increase the damage to the body: some variants attack the lungs, others the brain and heart. COVID-19 can cause severe illness, disability and/or death.  Studies suggest that, like other viruses, such as HIV, SARS-CoV-2 incubates in the body and can trigger other diseases several years on that you might not initially associate with a past COVID-19 infection. If you are disabled or have a pre-existing condition, such as cancer or diabetes, you are at more risk of serious illness, debility, or death,  

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* Well fitting NIOSH approved respirators (N95s) and masks (KN95s/KF94s) are recommended to protect yourself and others. The better the seal of any respirator or mask and the more people wearing them, the more effective they are. Though an unbraced surgical mask is better than no mask, if worn with a brace to get a good seal, a high quality surgical mask can work well.   

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