UPDATED March 24th 2022
- Wednesday mask requirement remains in place. This is a Eucharist with annointing for healing and is meant to be a safe place for all who immune system compromised.
- We will continue having the chalice bearer ’intinct’ (dip the tip of the host) in the wine and hand it back for consumption.
- All flow, one-way circulation has stopped.
- We have returned to taking communion at the rail. We do ask people to be conscious if other need physical spacing.
UPDATED February 11th 2022
Based on the Governor’s announcement and this most recent communique from the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Albany we are now able to make the accommodations listed below.
- Masks are no longer required of anyone who has received a Covid—19 vaccine and the appropriate waiting period has passed. We will continue to encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated to wear a mask when in the building and maintain safe social distancing when gathering with others.
- Wednesday protocols will remain in place for now. We will revisit this with those who regularly attend this service.
- All pews in the nave will be available so that you may have more options for seating during services.
- We will maintain the current one-way circulation patterns with communion being distributed standing in front of the altar rail.
- The altar party will resume processing and recessing from the narthex at the beginning and end of services.
- We will continue having the chalice bearer ’intinct’ (dip the tip of the host) in the wine and hand it back for consumption.
- We resume phasing back a modest hospitality after some Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning services.
UPDATED December 15th 2021
Governor Hochul has issued a mask mandate effective December 13th. This mandate requires everyone to either wear a face mask in all public venues, regardless of vaccination status or verification that all present are vaccinated. The mask position was affirmed by the Standing Committee in a communique on December 13th and 14th.
In accordance with the new mandate, we will be making the following changes effective today through the end of this mandate:
- Masks will be required for all public services in our buildings. This includes our Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday worship and Christmas services.
- We will continue our current practice of distributing Communion. However, all members of the clergy and altar party distributing communion will wear masks when distributing communion.
- Masks will be required for meetings and activities at the church during this period unless each member of the group meeting is fully vaccinated and all members of the group agree to suspension of the mask mandate for that meeting or activity. As directed by the Standing Committee, St. George's COVID precautions committee spoke with our county health department concerning meetings where all are vaccinated. The county health department said yes, under the circumstances described, we can agree to suspend mask wearing for that meeting.
- We will continue offering the hybrid option for many of our Christian Formation classes and meetings.
- As has been our practice throughout this pandemic period, anyone with possible COVID symptoms are requested to not come to the church until they are symptom free.
We will continue to monitor the situation and update our policies as needed. The Governor's new mandate will be reviewed around January 15.
Let us all pray that things will improve and the mask mandate will be lifted. Let us remember to pray for those who are ill with Covid-19, strength for the overloaded hospital staff, and for an end to this dangerous disease.
