Revised COVID-19 restrictions (May 2021)
TO: Clergy, wardens, lay readers, and lay pastoral visitors
FROM: Bishop Bruce Myers
In the coming days, most regions of the province of Quebec will no longer be designated as COVID-19 red zones. This is a credit to the individual and collective efforts of many people—including the clergy and faithful of our diocese. Please accept my thanks for doing your part to get us to this point, difficult and challenging as it has been.
We also need to recognize that we have not fully emerged from this pandemic, neither in Quebec nor (especially) globally. Therefore we need to remain vigilant and continue to respect public health guidelines so that this positive trend might continue.
To that end, here is a reminder of the maximum number of people currently permitted to gather in church buildings in different zone colours, according to public health guidelines. Please note that for the moment there continue to be different limits on the number of people permitted for a regular Sunday service and for funerals and weddings:
ORANGE ZONE: Maximum 100 for Sundays, 25 for funerals or weddingsYELLOW ZONE: Maximum 250 for Sundays, 50 for funerals or weddings
GREEN ZONE: Maximum 250 for Sundays, 250 for funerals or weddings
It is important to remember that because of the relatively small size of many of our church buildings, the true maximum number of people permitted for any service will be 50% of the usual capacity of the worship space, always allowing two metres between individuals from different households.
Other sanitary measures—such as hand sanitizing, no congregational or choir singing, and communion with bread only—remain in effect until further notice.
In-person pastoral visiting may take place, also subject to public health guidelines in each region. The best way to stay current with these regulations is to visit quebec.ca/coronavirus.
As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to be in touch with me or Archdeacon Edward Simonton.
