On Monday, March 21, Nova Scotia entered the final phase of its reopening plan and removed all Covid 19 mandates and ended a nearly two yearlong state of emergency.
On Friday, March 18, the Diocese of NS and PEI distributed a letter from the Right Reverend Sandra Fyfe, Diocesan Bishop entitled: Navigating the “New Normal: – The Lifting of Public Health Protocols – Best Practices for Parishes and Clergy in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The full document is available on the Diocese’s website
In the letter we are advised that individual parishes are free to make their own decisions with respect to lifting restrictions and that Bishop Fyfe recommends a phased approach.
St. Andrew’s Parish Council met on Wednesday, March 23 and has agreed on the following:
With no restrictions on gathering limits, St. Andrew’s will remove all physical distancing barriers (ropes), but asks that all who attend worship maintain a degree of physical distancing as much as possible and respect those who choose to distance from others.
We at St. Andrew’s strongly recommend and encourage the continued use of face masks and ask that all in attendance continue to mask while actively singing.
St. Andrew’s will no longer require those in attendance to sign in. We will not gather names for one on one contact tracing, however in the event we are made aware of an exposure; we will endeavor to reach parishioners through email.
Hand sanitizer will continue to be available and no changes will be made to our current practices with respect to sharing the Peace, Communion, Offerings and the distribution of books and bulletins.
We wish to extend our deepest gratitude for your continued patience, support and understanding.