Effective Sunday November 21/21, St. Andrew’s United Church is revising our protocols for attending in-person Sunday worship in the sanctuary.

The following list of precautionary protocols has been revised in keeping with current best practices recommended by local and provincial public health authorities and the United Church of Canada.

For the safety and well-being of everyone, all staff, volunteers and attendees age 12 and older will be required to provide one of the following certifications in order to be able to attend in-person worship:
a) Proof of double vaccination against COVID-19, with personal identification.
b) A medical exemption letter signed by a medical practitioner, with personal ID.
c) Written proof of a negative PCR or Rapid Antigen Test within the past 48 hours, with personal ID. Double vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly recommended.

 All attendees, including children, will be screened upon arrival. Admittance will be denied to anyone who:
o Is currently exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19
o Has come in close contact with a person with COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days
o Has travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days
 Physically distanced seating (singles, couples, groups of three or more) is available for up to 70 people.
 Individuals who wish not to appear on camera may sit at the back right-hand side of the sanctuary
 In accordance with Greater Sudbury health regulations, attendees are required to wear masks upon arrival and at all times inside the building – masks will be available for those who forget their own
 Everyone is required to sanitize their hands upon entering the building – hand sanitizer will be readily available at several stations and in the washrooms
 Attendees are required to provide their name and phone number at our sign-in table, for the purposes of contact tracing. Attendees will be notified if anyone attending one of our services is suspected/confirmed to have COVID-19. Attendance lists will be destroyed 14 days after each service.
 Attendees must maintain physical distance – shaking hands and other physical contact is not permitted
 After signing in, attendees may line up at the sanctuary entrance, maintaining appropriate physical distance until you are guided to appropriate seating
 Before taking your seat, you are invited to place your offering in the basket on a table to your right
 The children’s area will not be available – children will be seated with their family group
 Humming underneath your mask is permitted. Only the music director and/or designated soloist may sing without a mask from behind the protective plexiglass shield.
 Paper bulletins will not be distributed – all elements of the order of service will be projected
 A copy of the service content will be emailed to participants ahead of time – you may bring your own copies if you wish, in print or digital form. Please take any paper with you when you leave
 All services will be “no contact” for communion, passing of the peace, offerings, etc.
 The post-service Zoom fellowship time will continue to be held on Sunday evenings at 7pm.

We are also livestreaming our services every Sunday. This provides our congregation with three options:
a) Attend worship in-person on Sunday morning at 10:30 am
b) Watch the livestreamed service at home at 10:30 am on our YouTube channel
c) Watch the recorded service on our YouTube channel (posted soon after the end of each service)

If you have any questions about these protocols, please contact either St. Andrew’s Council Co-Chair, Phil Thurston or Ralph McIntosh.