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A (COVID) Moment with Megan - October 12, 2020

On a regular basis, Council Moderator Megan Fackler-Bretz will share emerging guidance from the “Path Forward” task force as CUCC responds to the pandemic. 

At its October 12 meeting, the Council made the difficult but not unexpected decision to postpone any in-person worship services until 2021. We are moving forward, however, with plans to install the necessary technology to eventually allow small numbers of parishioners to gather in the sanctuary for services that are live streamed to those who feel more comfortable worshipping at home.

The recently updated guidelines for outdoor meetings and CUCC events in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall are below.

Please send any questions you’d like addressed in future articles to Megan Fackler Bretz, Moderator, at mfacklerbretz@gmail.com. Thank you!

How many people can now meet on church grounds?
Since COVID metrics are starting to move in a promising direction, the task force has increased the number of people permitted to meet outside from 10 to 25. Anyone wishing to schedule an event should use our new Zoom or at CUCC Room Request Form to place the event on the church calendar and acknowledge a set of safety guidelines for which he/she will be responsible.  You can find the form in Breeze in the Useful Documents section.

Are indoor meetings permitted?
The Vaughan Fellowship Hall (VFH) can be used for church member events beginning Monday, Oct. 19.  Just as for outdoor events, the event coordinator should use our new Zoom or at CUCC Room Request Form to place the event on the church calendar and acknowledge a set of safety guidelines for which he/she will be responsible.  Events, which should last no more than 60 minutes, are limited to 15 people who wear masks and sit at least 6’ apart.  The kitchen, as well as the rest of the building, is off limits for safety reasons. 
 
Guidelines for CUCC groups using the Vaughan Fellowship Hall (VFH)
(Jane Smith will share the guidelines with the event coordinator, and ask for acknowledgement by email, before placing the event on the church calendar.)
 
To keep attendees and their contacts safe, I agree to:
•       Limit the number of people at the event to 15.
•       Limit the event time to 60 minutes.
•       Space the chairs to allow 6’ of distance between attendees.
•       Require that masks be worn by everyone while in the VFH.
•       Agree to keep all attendees in the VFH.  (For safety reasons, the rest of the building is off-limits.)
•       Encourage anyone using the restroom to follow the written instructions about sanitizing procedure.
•       Ask that attendees not bring food or beverages so that masks do not have to be removed. 
•       Keep a list of all attendees for at least two weeks to assist in contact tracing, if necessary.
•       At the end of the event, turn off all lights, hit “Cancel” on the thermostat if the HVAC setting changed, wipe down all doorknobs and light switches with a disinfectant towelette and lock all doors. 
 
Guidelines for CUCC groups meeting on church grounds
(Jane Smith will share the guidelines with the event coordinator, and ask for acknowledgement by email, before placing the event on the church calendar.)
 
To keep attendees and their contacts safe, I agree to:
•       Limit the number of people at the event to 25.
•       Encourage attendees to practice social distancing or to wear masks where that is not continuously possible.
•       Ask attendees to wear a mask when using the restroom in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall (VFH) and to follow the sanitizing directions posted in each restroom.
•       Keep a list of all attendees for at least two weeks to assist in contact tracing, if necessary.
•       At the end of the event, place any garbage in the trash containers, wipe down all doorknobs and light switches in the VFH with a disinfectant toilette, turn off VFH lights and lock the door. 
 
Guidelines for non-CUCC groups meeting on church grounds
(Merrilee Jacobson will share the guidelines with the event coordinator, and ask for acknowledgement, before asking Jane Smith to place the event on the church calendar.)
 
To keep attendees and their contacts safe, I agree to:
•       Limit the number of people at the event to 25.
•       Encourage attendees to practice social distancing or to wear masks where that is not continuously possible.
•       Keep a list of all attendees for at least two weeks to assist in contact tracing, if necessary.