Changes to Church Practice – Managing the spread of Coronavirus (7th March)

Changes to Church Practice – Managing the spread of Coronavirus

We have people in our church community who are in the vulnerable group of those who may be more at risk. Namely, those who have pre-existing conditions or who are elderly. We therefore need to minimise the risk of infection.

The Dean has provided advice on how to minimise the spread of Coronavirus given that it is now highly likely to make it to the Island. We will therefore be following this advice, across all three congregations, until further notice. The Dean’s advice is as follows:

  1. Suspend the administration of the chalice and offer Communion in one kind only i.e. the consecrated bread/wafer/host, with the priest alone taking the wine
  2. Suspend handshaking or other direct physical contact during the sharing of the peace and on arrival and departure
  3. Suspend direct physical contact as part of a blessing or ‘laying on of hands’

Hand sanitiser will be available in both church buildings. Our cleaners will be paying regular and close attention to cleaning door handles and hand rails.