From : Canon Gargaro, Diocesan Coordinator
The recent announcements by the UK and Scottish Governments highlight their growing concerns about omicron. So far there have been no changes to the legal rules in Scotland, but the tone of the announcements is that this may be a real possibility in the coming days or weeks. There has been no suggestion, so far, about any changes to the rules on worship. If there are any changes I will let you know.
What we, as parishes, do need to think about just now are social events. If you have Christmas parties or other social events planned, whether for parishioners or just as hires for parish halls, should these go ahead?
There is no ban in place, and we know that restaurants, pubs, night clubs, etc. can currently function as normal, but for the safety of both attendees and parish staff/volunteers (such as those acting as bar staff, waiters, etc. in halls) we should risk assess any events and decide whether it is safe for them to go ahead.
This might also apply to plans for refreshments after Christmas Masses or after carol services, etc. If the parish is providing catering you might also need to consider the risk of buying lots of food in, when events might be cancelled later (whether by the parish or the organisers, or by legislation).
As I have said previously, we also need to think about church capacity if we expect busy Christmas Masses and how to safely manage that, so too with large attendances at baptisms, weddings, or funerals.
And, as unpopular as it is, the experts keep emphasising the importance of good ventilation, even in our cold weather.
The recent announcements by the UK and Scottish Governments highlight their growing concerns about omicron. So far there have been no changes to the legal rules in Scotland, but the tone of the announcements is that this may be a real possibility in the coming days or weeks. There has been no suggestion, so far, about any changes to the rules on worship. If there are any changes I will let you know.
What we, as parishes, do need to think about just now are social events. If you have Christmas parties or other social events planned, whether for parishioners or just as hires for parish halls, should these go ahead?
There is no ban in place, and we know that restaurants, pubs, night clubs, etc. can currently function as normal, but for the safety of both attendees and parish staff/volunteers (such as those acting as bar staff, waiters, etc. in halls) we should risk assess any events and decide whether it is safe for them to go ahead.
This might also apply to plans for refreshments after Christmas Masses or after carol services, etc. If the parish is providing catering you might also need to consider the risk of buying lots of food in, when events might be cancelled later (whether by the parish or the organisers, or by legislation).
As I have said previously, we also need to think about church capacity if we expect busy Christmas Masses and how to safely manage that, so too with large attendances at baptisms, weddings, or funerals.
And, as unpopular as it is, the experts keep emphasising the importance of good ventilation, even in our cold weather.
