India Full Gospel Fellowship
LATEST COVID UPDATES
as of March 7, 2022
- Hand sanitation stations will be at the entrance.
- Our facility team continues to sanitize highly touched surfaces.
- We will continue to maintain “more space” seating inside the church, to maintain the social distancing space.
- If someone has a fever or cold symptoms they are encouraged not to attend the Church for everyone’s safety.
- Registrations are still required for those attending the church, so please fill out the registration form as you plan to attend the Sunday Service.
COVID-19 Exposure Control, Mitigation, and Recovery Plan per Washington State requirements for Religious and Faith-Based Organizations
Washington State Phase 3: Indoor Gatherings limited to 50% or 400 Persons
Our COVID supervisor is Pr. Noble Samuel. Please direct any questions or concerns to the church office.
COMING AND GOING:
- Except for those under the age of two and those with a medical exemption, all staff, guests, and visitors in attendance must wear face coverings before, during, and after the service. During the service, a single speaker can remove their mask while speaking to the congregation. [WA requirement #3]
- All in attendance must register themselves online through the church portal before coming to the services so that we can maintain the log of all the attending members at each service for 14 days or more so that in case an outbreak occurs, this information would be helpful to save lives. [As per Phase 3, Clause: C]
- Additionally, while registering online, you will be asked to complete self-screening before attending the church. Please do not attend church if you are sick for any reason, have a temperature of 100.4F or higher, or notice that your children are sick. If you have had contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days, please do not come to church; instead, call the church so that we can pray for your wellbeing and provide you with proper guidance. [WA requirement #14] – (Symptom monitoring)
- Individuals and Families will be tested for temperature and symptoms upon arrival at India Full Gospel Fellowship Church. An infrared thermometer will be available at the entrance to check the attendees and visitors. (Symptom monitoring)
- Any visitors, new to the congregation must provide contact information until further notice. Name, Number of people attending, and phone number; minimum. This information will be printed in a visitor’s sheet and will be kept in a logbook for 14 days. (Symptom monitoring)
- If you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of attending an India Full Gospel Fellowship service, please contact the church so we can educate our congregation anonymously and communicate with King County health officials.
- Please welcome each other with a friendly wave and a friendly “Hello,” but no handshakes or hugs are appropriate at this time. [WA requirement #4]
- Each attendee and visitor are required to carry their own masks. Masks and gloves will be available at the church in case they forget. [WA requirement #4]
- Unless the individual is a member of your immediate household, keep a distance of at least 6 feet between you and your fellow congregant. Maintaining a six-foot radius would be easier with signs and labels on the floor. [WA requirement #10 & 11]
- The main grill door to the upstairs foyer and sanctuary will be open and be used for entrance. Greeters can keep a distance of 6 feet between them. Please only enter through that door and to exit, we will use the main sanctuary door, please keep an eye out for a sign which says: EXIT, that would lead you to the exit door. [WA requirement #10]
SANITATION:
- These areas of the church will be cleaned and sanitized before and after Sunday Worship Service [WA requirement #9]:
- Sanctuary: Chairs, Tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, keyboards, computers, remote controls, microphones, and sound mixer.
- Foyer: Handrails, door handles/knobs & Chairs
- Bathrooms: Mirrors, sinks, toilets, countertops, soap dispensers, etc.
- We recommend that you change the indicator sign to Vacant or Occupied when you walk in and out of the bathroom, as doing that would help the next person waiting in line in front of the restroom to know whether the restroom is occupied or vacant. Due to the size of the bathrooms, only 1 person will be allowed to use them at a time. Social distancing markers will be on the floor outside the bathrooms for those who are in line. When waiting for the restroom, remember to keep a physical distance of 6 feet. [WA requirement #6]
- In both men’s and women’s restrooms, soap is available for handwashing. [WA requirement #7]
- All participants are encouraged to have practiced good hygiene before gathering in the church. While in the facility, participants are encouraged, not to touch their faces with unwashed hands or with gloves before washing their hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow when coughing or sneezing.
- Throughout the premises, hand sanitizer will be available. [WA requirement #7]
- After the service, all attendees will have access to disinfectants that will be kept on a table, at the back of the sanctuary, and each attendee is encouraged to clean and disinfect their regularly touched areas. [WA requirement #8]
- Throughout the building, tissues and trashcans will be accessible. [WA requirement #13]
- To prevent air stagnation, ventilation systems will be turned on during both services. [WA requirement #12]
SERVICE:
- For Malayalam and Hindi Service, Church doors will be unlocked from 8:30 am for the organizational staff (the worship team and leaders) and further, the main entrance door will be unlocked at 9:45 am and the attendees would be invited in after proper symptom monitoring, for the First Malayalam service and re-locked at 10:30 am. Once the Malayalam service is over, the attendees should self-sanitize their high-touch surface areas, and then all the first service attendees should exit from the sanctuary door.
- Similarly, for the Hindi Service, starting at 12 pm the main entrance door will remain unlocked, after proper symptom monitoring, the attendees would be invited in, and once the service ends at 1:30 pm, they would as well be requested to exit from the sanctuary door.
- Chairs will be put across the room to help families sit together, but not closer than the CDC’s prescribed distance of 6 feet. Please follow all floor markings and signage. [WA requirement #10]
- At this time, the congregants are allowed to sing at the time of worship, as long as they wear a three-layer cloth mask or surgical mask, and maintain among groups a minimum of 6 feet of physical distancing; kids should remain at seats with their families during worship time. A soloist can sing without a mask as long as they maintain a physical distance of 15 feet. [WA requirement #5]
- Please keep your face mask on if you’d like to sing during worship. [WA requirement #5]
- During the service, the offering trays will not be passed. Please place your tithes and offerings as you enter or exit the facility; in the lockbox located in the sanctuary, or continue to give online or by mail. [WA requirement #4]
- Communion will be served in pre-assembled single-serve portions near the pulpit on a communion table that will be picked up by attendees during the communal service, rather than handed out by ushers. [WA requirement #4]
- Please don’t bring any shared food or beverages. No tea/coffee will be served, before, during, or after services. The kitchen will not be open during phase 3.
- Unless adequate distancing can be maintained, conversations that would usually take place in an office, corridor, or smaller room must now take place outside. [WA requirement #10]
CHILDREN:
- During phase 3, given the challenges of having children maintain social distancing; in-person Sunday School is canceled until further notice but could be available through an online platform.
- Please bring your children to worship with us in the sanctuary so that we can watch them grow. Please address the value of following these instructions with your children before coming to church.
AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS:
- The CDC has identified certain groups in our community as being at higher risk of serious complications as a result of the virus and advises them to take extra measures to prevent contracting this highly infectious disease. According to the CDC, these groups include the elderly (age 65 and up), people with chronic health conditions, and those with disabilities. For more information, visit: Older Adults, Pregnant People and for People with Medical Conditions
- If you fall into one of these groups, the CDC advises that you take extra precautions. You could take extra precautions by remaining at home and attending a recorded worship service, or you could join us if you have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and feel safe to do so.
KNOWN CASES OF COVID-19:
- If we are made aware of any positive cases of COVID-19 in our church body, and they attended in-person service, persons experiencing symptoms or testing COVID-19 positive shall immediately notify the COVID Supervisor. And the COVID Supervisor will in turn notify those staff and congregants who were present of their possible exposure and encouraged them to self-quarantine for the necessary 14 days and/or consult their physician. Also, the COVID Supervisor shall immediately notify the Pastor. So that Pastor can determine how and when to communicate this with the congregation. Care will be taken to maintain confidentiality.
- Further, any area of the facility that has been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 will be closed off until it has been cleaned and disinfected. As per CDC guidelines regarding a facility that has been exposed to Covid-19, staff will wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting.
- Any person who is exhibiting symptoms after having entered the facility will be quarantined in the Pastor’s office. Symptoms include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle/body/headaches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. The COVID Supervisor will be informed. The COVID supervisor will ensure that the person is safely transported to their home or an appropriate healthcare facility. Anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19 must not return to the facility until they have met CDC’s criteria to discontinue home isolation.
- Further, it would be the COVID supervisor’s responsibility to notify the King County Health District and advise the church body to follow the 14-day self-quarantine guidelines of the State Department of Health: Isolation and Quarantine for COVID-19
COVID-19 SAFETY TRAINING:
- All staff will receive the following information and instruction:
- The CDC’s Interim Guidance for Communities of Faith and Faith-based Organization Requirements.
- India Full Gospel Fellowship Church’s Comprehensive COVID-19 Exposure Control, Mitigation, and Recovery Plan. The church’s COVID-19 Supervisor will be available for clarification and any needed further instructions. Links:
Interim Guidance for Communities of Faith
Phase 3 Religious and Faith-based Organization COVID-19 Requirements
POSTINGS:
- This document will be sent to the members of India Full Gospel Fellowship Church and will be posted in the following locations:
- India Full Gospel Fellowship Church website: [WA requirement #1]
- CDC signs promoting safe gatherings will be prominently displayed in the following locations [WA requirement #2]:
- Each entry to the church
- On the poster board located in the foyer
- Restrooms
- Those places that are not being used during service or other gatherings at the church will be posted “DO NOT ENTER.”
IFGF’s COVID-19 plan Information:
- A copy of the plan will be available in the church office.
- The IFGF’s COVID-19 Supervisor’s name is on the cover sheet for this plan. COVID supervisor will fill out the following and will place it in a file for the records:
- Checklist signed by COVID supervisor stating that all the above precautionary measures have been taken, and are in place; before and after the service.
- List of attendees who registered online and were present during the service.
- Visitor’s list for each service.
- Checklist & Forms: COVID Supervisors checklist and All the forms
Finally, we would like to say that you and your family are precious to the Lord and India Full Gospel Fellowship. In this time of trial, God has a special plan for your life, so please don’t forget the promise given to us and take comfort in that promise: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).