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This past Wednesday the provincial government consulted with faith communities about our response to COVID-19. I listened in on that teleconference. Here are my key takeaways from what was shared by BC's health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry:

  • The mortality rate for under 40yrs is negligible; over 80 yrs it is 14%. As we have many seniors in our church family we have additional reasons to take this seriously.

  • We all need to stay home from church when we are not feeling well. We may not feel terribly ill ourselves but can still pass the virus on to others who may be gravely affected. 

  • We need to encourage social distance--sit apart from each other at worship and refrain from handshakes/hugs. Thankfully we have adequate space at St. Andrew's!

  • We need to wash hands frequently. I saw a study that claimed 60% of men do not wash their hands after using the washroom. Soap and water is the best prevention.

  • We need to clean regularly touched surfaces. This advice has been passed on to the Board of Managers.

  • We need to find new ways of keeping people connected. We will be reminding the congregation how to access recorded services and will be looking at different ways of keeping connected to those who are not on the internet.