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COVID-19 Restrictions Scaled Back

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Uncategorized

Dear Beneficent Community,

I am pleased to announce the lifting of most COVID restrictions that have been in place since the start of the pandemic. I have included a full list of the updates to the restrictions below. The updated policy takes effect starting Sunday, February 26, 2023.

Additionally, we will use the Rhode Island Department of Health’s “Community Levels” metric as a guideline for whether to reinstate restrictions. Currently, the level for Providence County is “Low.” If the level rises to “High,” restrictions will resume.

Thank you all for your patience and cooperation during the long public-health emergency.

Updates to COVID restrictions:

  • We will continue wearing masks in office areas and hallways during regular business hours while staff are in the building.
  • We will continue asking screening questions of people arriving during business hours.
  • We will continue keeping a log of who is in the building – not for contact tracing, but so staff can know who else is in the building with them.
  • We will activate key fobs of church officers while staff is in the building. All other fobs will remain deactivated during business hours.
  • We will resume handing out the bulletins rather than asking folks to help themselves.
  • We will resume using hymnals, so sheet music will be included in the printed bulletin only if the sheet music isn’t available in a hymnal. All music still will be provided in the downloadable bulletin.
  • We will resume communion by tray service only (not intinction) with gluten-free wafers in individual bags.
  • We will resume placing boxes of tissues in pews.
  • KN95 masks will be encouraged, but optional.
  • The choir will continue to wear face-shields while singing.
  • During the passing of the peace, we will resume walking around greeting people.
  • Person-to-person contact is allowed.
  • We request (but do not require) that worship leaders perform rapid tests before arriving for worship. (Free tests are available in the Meeting House and the Church Office.)
  • We will resume fellowship hour as soon as possible.
  • The passing of offering plates may resume as determined by the worship team.

Yours in fellowship,
Miriam Fitzelle-Jones, Moderator