Coronavirus
As of writing, Thursday 2nd July, everything seems clear for me to open up Sundays Service at St Bartholomew’s to the public.
There are important instructions to be followed for the safety of the congregation and clergy. It may seem as if society has laxed on it’s vigilance, we are not allowed to. Receiving Holy Communion is a close up personal action, probably the closest you will have been to someone outside of your agreed bubble of contacts: you certainly will not have been ‘fed’ by anyone unless you have had a spell in hospital. Sitting amongst others in a public building will be a new experience, maybe even venturing out on your own for the first time.
There are many instructions issued by both Government and the Church of England which we will have to follow. It will seem odd at first and very different to how we went to church in February. Everything has changed since then. What you have been following on the internet each week, on YouTube, Facebook, though emails, is what you will experience when you decide the time is right for you to return to our main service on Sunday.
These are the important facts to follow:
- We have only one entry/exit it must remain clear. The Church will open at 9.40am on Sunday for you to enter. The doors will remain open throughout, whatever the weather! Our available capacity is 54 people. If full you will not be able to come in.
- When you do enter, sanitise your hands at one of the dispensers and go directly to an available place in the pews. Do not congregate around the back of church. Do not search for your old place, please fill up from the spaces available at the front. DO NOT MOVE from your seat and avoid standing up, turning around and saying/waving hello to friends.
- Please wear a face covering in the church building. If you are unable to do so, please see the notice about private appointments.
- Do not cross any red lines on the floor, do not sit on any red lines on pews. Half the pews are closed in order to maintain the distance required between worshippers. The spaces available are enough for two people from each household/bubble. The service booklet will be placed on the pews 48hours ahead of the service in accordance with hygiene instructions. You must take the booklet home with you.
- Do not pass any red barrier cord. The front (Chancel, Choir stalls, Sanctuary, vestries) of the church are out of bounds.
- There are no cushions and no bibles (Bring your own).
- If you come to church you must be willing to have your name/presence recorded. This is in accordance with the Governments requirement for records to assist with Track and Trace programmes.
- Please be aware that at the moment we cannot offer Toilet facilities.
- No congregational or other singing is permitted. You will hear music recorded by the Davies family as you have on the broadcasts. (Organ music may be introduced shortly).
- You are asked to respond quietly to all parts of the service. Raised voices are discouraged by Government advice in all venues. This will be strange at first.
- Before we begin I will ask who would like a prayer candle lit on their behalf. These will be placed on the stands in the Sanctuary by myself.
- Please be aware that we continue to record and broadcast services! You will not be in any picture but can be heard.
- The Service will be what you are used to but shorter. I don’t know how much yet, but maybe 40-50 minutes. Stand and sit as usual.
- We DO NOT share a handshake at the Peace.
- Communion will be brought to you, DO NOT MOVE. Just stand and place you hands out. The Holy bread will be dropped gently into you hand: I will wear a mask and gloves at this point. The Hosts (bread ready for consecration) will have been placed aside 72hours beforehand to eliminate any chance of contamination. ( If you drop the Holy bread you must pick it up and consume it yourself.)
- At the end of the service DO NOT MOVE until you are told to by me. As we have one exit, we will have to leave in an arranged order. Stay put and please be patient.
- The church will be shut at 11.00am and opened later on Sunday between 1.00pm and 2.00pm for those wishing to pray privately.
- Wednesday and Thursday’s Service will continue on-line for the moment.
These instructions are extensive but should make our return to worshipping together as easy and moving as possible. We are permitted to open and under no obligation: if we play our part and follow the rules we will be fine. I, nor any of us, wants returning to church to be part of Covid-19’s path of destruction. We should all be aware that this is all subject to Government and Bishops permission. It is your decision whether to come on Sunday’s, please pay heed to advice from Public Health England, your Doctor and circumstance as you make up your mind.
No Parish Priest ever expected to have to speak to his congregation like this, believe me it is not what I hoped for you all at the beginning of 2020. But we are a people of God, a Resurrection people (which is why I have left the Resurrection dressings on the cross for when we return!). Let us be hopeful, prayerful and responsible and we may come through this and hug again some day!
With every blessing
Fr Richard
Do not cross any red lines on the floor, do not sit on any red lines on pews.
Our Church Hall remains closed
until 1st September at the earliest,
subject to Government regulations.
Our risk assesment is copied below:
Risk assessment
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Church: St Bartholomew Plymouth
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Assessor’s name: Fr Richard Silk
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Date completed: 4th July 2020
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Review date: 1st August 2020
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Area of Focus |
Controls required |
Additional information |
Action by whom? |
Completed – date and name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Access to church buildings for clergy for purposes of private prayer and/or livestreaming
|
One point of entry to the church building clearly identified |
|
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
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A suitable lone working policy has been consulted if relevant. |
NA |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Buildings have been aired before use. |
Rear windows |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Check for animal waste and general cleanliness. |
Grounds closed |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Ensure water systems are flushed through before use.
|
|
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Switch on and check electrical and heating systems if needed. Commission system checks as necessary. |
|
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Holy water stoups and the font are empty. |
All Holy water removed to cordoned off area |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Ensure safe use of equipment needed for livestreaming: avoid exceeding safe load on sockets, cables/tripod causing trip hazard |
Cordoned off |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Deciding whether to open to the public |
Discuss with nearby venues and businesses to ensure that the timing and practical arrangements for using the church are compatible. |
NA |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
Update your website, A Church Near You, and any relevant social media. |
Done |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Consider if a booking system is needed, whether for general access or for specific events/services |
NA |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
If opening to tourists consider applying for the Visit Britain ‘Good to Go’ standard mark |
NA |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Preparation of the Church for access by members of the public for any permitted purposes, including worship and tourism |
Confirm that all steps (above) for access by clergy have been carried out before anyone else accesses the building. |
Done |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
Review CofE guide on cleaning church buildings. Complete the ‘cleaning’ section of this risk assessment (below). |
Done |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Choose one point of entry into the church to manage flow of people and indicate this with notices, keeping emergency exits available at all times. Where possible use a different exit. |
Main door |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Make any temporary arrangements for people to wait or queue outside the building (taking into account any consequential risks arising from people gathering outside). |
Notice on gate |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Where possible, doors and windows should be opened temporarily to improve ventilation. |
Left open during service |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Remove Bibles/literature/hymn books/leaflets |
Removed |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Cordon off or remove from public access any devotional objects or items (if they are liable to be touched or closely breathed on) |
Candle stands isolated in Sanctuary |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Consider if pew cushions/kneelers need to be removed as per government guidance |
Removed |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Remove or isolate children’s resources and play areas |
Removed |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Walk through the church to plan for physical distancing in seats, aisles, at the altar rail, including safe flow of visitors. Remember 2m in all directions from each person (or 1m with risk mitigation if absolutely necessary). |
Marked at 2m |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Clearly mark out seating areas including exclusion zones to maintain distancing. |
Red marking and instruction |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Clearly mark out flow of movement for people entering and leaving the building to maintain physical distancing requirements. |
Notice board and verbal instruction |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Limit access to places were the public does not need go, maybe with a temporary cordon in needed. |
Barriers erected |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Determine placement of hand sanitisers available for visitors to use. |
Doors and church |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Determine if temporary changes are needed to the building to facilitate social distancing |
Chapel chairs thinned out |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Put up notices to remind visitors about important safe practices e.g. no physical contact, practice hand washing etc. |
Tower boards outside |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Ensure high-risk surfaces and touch points have been wiped with appropriate sanitiser spray or disposable wipes |
Available |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Check that handwashing facilities have adequate soap provision and paper towels, and a bin for the paper towels. |
Out of bounds |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Where there are toilet facilities, ensure an adequate supply of soap and disposable hand towels, and a bin for towels, are available. |
Out of bounds |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Ensure all waste receptacles have disposable liners (e.g. polythene bin bags) to reduce the risk to those responsible for removing them. |
Out of bounds |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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If possible, provide safe means for worshippers and visitors to record their name and contact details; retain each day’s record for 21 days |
Notice given, register to be recorded |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Give due notice of the resumption of use of the building to neighbours, congregation and wider community, ensuring that visitors and worshippers will know what to expect when they come. |
Notice given |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Cleaning the church before and after general use (no known exposure to anyone with Coronavirus symptoms)
Advice on cleaning church buildings can be found here. |
If the church building has been closed for 72 hours between periods of being open then there is no need for extra cleaning to remove the virus from surfaces. |
|
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
If 72-hour closure is not possible then check all cleaners are not in a vulnerable group or self-isolating. |
Weekly professional cleaning Clean as you like |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Set up a cleaning rota to cover your opening arrangements. |
Weekly professional cleaning Clean as you like |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
All cleaners provided with gloves (ideally disposable). |
above |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Suitable cleaning materials provided, depending on materials and if historic surfaces are to be cleaned. |
above |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
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Confirm person responsible for removing potentially contaminated waste (e.g. hand towels) from the site. |
NA |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Confirm the frequency for removing potentially contaminated waste (e.g. hand towels) from the site – suggested daily removal. |
NA |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
Cleaning the church after known exposure to someone with Coronavirus symptoms |
If possible close the church building for 72 hours with no access permitted. |
TBD |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
If 72-hour closure is not possible then follow Public Health England guidance on cleaning in non-healthcare settings. |
Will be closed |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
|
|
If the building has been quarantined for 72 hours, then carry out cleaning as per the normal advice on cleaning. |
Clean as you like |
Fr R |
4 July 2020 Fr R |
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