Bishop Woodliff-Stanley Provides Update on Covid-19 Guidance for the Diocese

As we continue in the season of Advent and near Christmas, the Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has written a letter to the diocese providing an update to COVID-19 guidance for congregations. A copy of the letter can be viewed at this link.

The text of the letter is below:

December 10, 2021
 
Dear faithful people of the Diocese of South Carolina,

As we all continue to navigate this season of pandemic, I remain truly grateful for the many ways you have demonstrated care for others as we have remained cautious in the ways we have gathered and worshiped together. While the transmission levels now are much lower than they were this summer, we are still wise to continue to exercise caution, knowing that holiday travel and cold weather might cause a change in current trends.

To this end, I have consulted with the Standing Committee and their COVID Task Force that meets regularly with medical professionals for guidance in this pandemic. I am sharing a list of guidelines that have been suggested as best practices through the end of the year, with the hope that these can be revisited at the start of the new year, after the holiday season.
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• Continue encouraging all parishioners to get vaccinated. Consider providing assistance, such as transportation or access to medical resources, as necessary.
• Continue reminding parishioners and staff to stay home when experiencing any symptoms and seek COVID-19 testing at the onset of symptoms.
• As people become more comfortable with worshipping in person (making social distancing more difficult), consider holding outdoor services or adding services when/where appropriate.
• Continue to wear masks for indoor services and during office hours when others are present.
• Continue making hand sanitizer and face masks readily available for all.
• Continue maintaining social distancing between households of parishioners for indoor services.
• Participants should continue to wear masks covering mouth and nose when congregational or choral music is a part of a service.  This includes practice and preparatory sessions as well.
• Continue or implement online worship for adults and children as well as holding meetings virtually whenever possible.
• Continue encouraging parishioners to pass the peace without physical contact and maintaining social distancing.
• Holy Communion should continue in one kind only, or done in such a way as to minimize the potential for cross contamination.
• If coffee hour/fellowship time is reinstated, if weather permits, it should be held outdoors.
• Nursery, children’s chapel or Sunday school, leadership and families should continue exercising informed prudence and appropriate safety measures.                                         

 
 For specific information about your county, please see this link. Keep in mind that the CDC initially recommended indoor gatherings only when the positive test rate fell below five percent.
 
I remain grateful for your care for others, your prayers and your patience. 
 
Faithfully yours,

The Right Reverend Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina