CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
GUIDANCE FOR PARISH LEADERS
- Be aware that guidance is considered on a daily basis and may change. Keep up to date with the latest guidance from the national church, the NHS and the Department of Health:
- Current advice (1.3.20) is that the common cup and sharing the Peace are permitted. Anybody with symptoms of a cough or cold should avoid shaking hands during the Peace or sharing the common cup. Communion in one kind – wafer only – is still communion.
- Discourage intinction from the chalice, including by the priest at the consecration.
- Use tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve and not into your hand.
- Wash your hands with hot water and soap regularly. If not possible, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol.
- Have tissues and anti-bacterial hand sanitiser (60% alcohol) available near the entrance to church and for the altar team.
- We recommend simple dated messages that can be posted on social media and used on newsletters, etc. For instance:
4th March 2020
- Pray for those who are unwell.
- If you think you might have coronavirus, call NHS 111 for help and advice.
- Use tissues for coughs and sneezes, and bin them right away.
- Wash your hands a lot and use the hand gel when you get to church.
- Sharing the Peace and the common cup is fine unless you have cold/flu symptoms.
- Please do not dip the wafer in the cup (intinct). You can just receive the wafer – receiving “in one kind” is still receiving communion.