Back to church? Health district shares guidance

While the Ohio Department of Health and Gov. Mike DeWine have classified churches as an essential operation during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Lake County General Health District stated that local religious leaders are seeking best practices to ensure the protection of their membership and the Lake County community.

The health district has recommended the following “universal essential protective measures” for services/weddings/funerals, noting that it is subject to change as the Stay Safe Ohio directives evolve:

• Clean and sanitize the facility and all high touch point surfaces such as door handles, restrooms and water fountains between services.

• Prop doors open if possible to reduce contact with common touch points.

• Ensure a minimum of six-foot distance between families and/or individuals.

• Promote hand washing and provide proper hygiene education/reminders.

• Encourage individuals to conduct a self-assessment of their health each morning (anyone with a 100.4 degrees or higher temperature, or other flulike symptoms should not attend services).

• Continue to utilize social media to broadcast services to encourage at-risk members to stay at home.

• Provide hand sanitizer or other hand washing supplies.

• Face masks, face coverings, or face shields should be worn to protect others.

• All physical contact should be avoided.

The health district also recommends the following best practices and modifications:

• Outdoor services, when Northeast Ohio weather allows, is the preferred way to provide services to help ensure that individuals are maintaining a six-foot distance between families or members. Indoor services are permissible and additional steps should be considered to ensure safe distancing can be achieved.

• Restrict the number of individuals to 50 percent of the maximum as determined by the fire code. Groups may want to utilize known pew/chair space and determine how many families and members can safely distance themselves for count at each service.

• While at a church gathering, families should enter, sit, stand and exit as a group. No one should wander from their family group.

• Provide ushers to help facilitate social distancing for seating.

• Dismissal should be controlled and attendees should be instructed to exit row by row to ensure no unnecessary crowding or congregating at the exits. If possible have one way to enter and exit to avoid contact.

• Services may be conducted in parking lots where members are encouraged to remain in their cars. Cars can be spaced out.

• Churches with multiple rooms/wings may consider conducting live or streaming sermons with maintaining groups of 10 or fewer placed in separate rooms throughout the facility.

• Consider additional services to reduce the number of people at each service.

• Whenever possible, have ministry groups meet in groups of 10 or fewer or in spaces that can accommodate sufficient social distancing.

• Consider and utilize alternative methods of administering church offerings, communion, baptisms, and the Lord’s Supper that do not require physical contact. Avoid sharing cups and other commonly shared items.

• Individuals with chronic disease or age 55 or older should be encouraged to not attend, and join via social media if available.

• Maintain a log of attendees to help facilitate COVID-19 tracing should an individual later be identified as COVID-19 positive and/or having had a known exposure.

• Encourage families and members to avoid parking next to each other in the parking lot and to leave quickly after services to avoid large gatherings to form in the lot.

• Forgo serving foods, coffee stations and donut fellowships, as these are places where people will gather.

• Forgo using hymnals, missals and physical church bulletins to limit hand-tohand exposure.

• Do not utilize nurseries, Sunday school, children’s church, or bus ministries at this time.

“As the Stay Safe Ohio guidance evolves over the next year, LCGHD will still recommend following universal essential protective measures for funerals/ weddings/church services stated above,” the health district stated. “We believe following these measures will ensure groups do the best job possible in keeping families and membership safe and healthy.”

The health district stated that it is willing to review any plans developed by churches.

“Church and faith-based organizational operations are not subject to approval by the health district,” the agency stated. “The health district’s recommendations are intended to guide you in the right direction.”

Those with questions can contact the health district’s COVID-19 hotline at 440350-2188.

Reopenings

DeWine announced during his May 7 press conference plans to reopen restaurants, bars and personal care services. Outdoor dining can resume May 15 and din-in service can resume May 21. Personal care services such as hair salons, barbershops, day spas, nail salons, and tanning facilities are also permitted to reopen on May 15.

The Lake County General Health District stated in its May 11 daily COVID-19 report that business owners can submit questions regarding the reopening to www.lcghd.org/2019-novelcoronavirus-ncov/. Business owners were told to expect a response within 48 hours of submission.

The health district also stated that it is continuing to enforce the amended stay at home order. The health district has received more than 1,000 complaints regarding local business compliance since the order went into effect. Roughly ¾ of those complaints (743) have come since March 30.