Cautious return of churchgoers
It was a tentative but good return to mass at New Plymouth’s St Joseph’s Church on Sunday, as the Covid-19 limit on gatherings in New Zealand eased from 10 to 100 people.
By mid-afternoon, the church had held three masses that were at 100 people and one with 35, Father Simon Story said.
‘‘People were probably a little hesitant and nervous about things, but everyone was pretty compliant with the restrictions,’’ he said.
Before the lockdown the church would have 700 to 800 people attend across its Sunday services, including the evening services.
The rules included having seating that was spaced out to ensure physical distancing, having only bread and no chalice for communion, and requiring churchgoers to pre-register online.
‘‘It’s just nice to be able to start up again after lockdown and gain some momentum again and routine,’’ Story said. Once it was appropriate, the church would welcome a move to alert level 1, he said.
The easing of the gathering limit has also been positive for the wedding industry, according to Louise Campbell from Taranaki Weddings.
She said brides were now more confident to plan their weddings next year.
However, there were still a lot of rules to follow for people tying the knot under level 2. Campbell urged couples to support local vendors and shops, and hoped last year’s couples would nominate their vendors for the upcoming Taranaki Wedding Industry Awards.