Church Reopens for Worship December 2nd

Dear All,

The government has allowed public worship to resume from 2nd December 2020 subject to a number of safety measures to prevent to the spread of COVID-19. At Holy Trinity this means:

• Hand sanitiser will be available on entry to the church and people required to use it as they come in
• Communion in one kind only can happen, and must be received in the hand. The celebrant and the communicant must take great care that their hands do not touch. There can be no sharing of the chalice at the moment.
• Wearing of face-coverings is mandatory for those who do not have a medical exemption.
• If you are at extra risk and ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ a decision to attend so is yours alone.
• There can be no congregational singing.
• There can be no serving of refreshments after Mass.
• One toilet only will be open for use.
• To comply with the government’s track and trace scheme a record of names will be kept of those who attend. No one will be barred from entry who refuses to give their name.
• The service will be ‘livestreamed’ on Zoom as before. The only people visible to the camera will be the celebrant and readers / intercessors.
• Seats are marked out with two metres distance between them. People of the same household or support bubble can sit together, but people of different households or bubbles must socially distance. People should only sit in designated places and leave certain marked benches completely clear. The extra chairs at the back of church must not be moved from where they have been placed.
• Congregational movement around the church will be limited to entry and exit, use of the toilet, and people getting up to read/lead intercessions. Physical sharing of the peace cannot take place. Communion will be administered in place, with the priest moving around.
•  Single use service sheets will be available.
• There will be a plate at the entrance for the collection.
• Sharing of the peace can be done verbally, but we ask people to stay in their places.

Very importantly, please do not attend in person if you are self-isolating or think you are suffering from any coronavirus symptoms.