
Health & Safety at Cokesbury Memorial
during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Updated October 26, 2021
In response to the evolving public health emergency of COVID-19 the following Policies and Procedures have been developed by Cokesbury’s pastoral team in consultation with the guidelines from the CDC, Maryland Department of Health and the United Methodist Church. Updates will be made as information is received & guidance changes.
General
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Attendees must wear masks if they are unvaccinated and are encouraged to wear masks if they fall into a vulnerable group.
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Social distance of 6 feet should be maintained as much as possible. Individuals in the same household should sit together.
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Physical contact should be limited. Consider fist/elbow bumps in lieu of hugging and shaking hands.
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Frequent hand sanitizer use is encouraged. Touch-less hand sanitizer stations will be available.
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Attendance and sign-in sheets will be retained for two (2) calendar years, per Baltimore Washington Conference UMC guidance.
Health:
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Persons who are feeling ill or have a fever (or if someone in their home is ill) should stay home.
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If you attend worship and become ill or test positive for Covid within 7 days, notify the church office immediately.
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Attending
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Gathering capacity will be limited in accordance with CDC and local guidelines.
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Each attendee will need to consider the following health screening questions:
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Have you been sick in the last 7 days with fever/chills; a cough; shortness of breath/difficulty breathing; body aches; sore throat; runny or stuffy noses; diarrhea or other digestive issues such as nausea; or a recent/new loss of taste or smell?
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Have you been in contact with anyone sick with these symptoms?
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Have you been tested for COVID-19 in the last 3 days and NOT received a negative test result?
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If attendee's are not able to answer "no" to the health screening questions, the church reserves the right to instruct them to refrain from attending gatherings.
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Vulnerable persons should approach church gatherings in recognition of accepted risk.
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Children & Youth who are unvaccinated should remain masked. All volunteers working with children under 12 should remain masked.
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Arrival & Departure
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At the conclusion of gatherings, attendees will follow directions regarding social distancing while returning to vehicles in accordance with current CDC, state, and local guidelines.
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Restrooms​
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Restrooms will be available for use at church functions. They are sanitized after each event. Please remember to wash your hands thoroughly to prevent to spread of germs and illness.
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Volunteers & Cleaning:
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All spaces and supplies will be sanitized after use. This includes, but not limited to, bathrooms (see above) and the gathering space - chairs/pews, doors, light switches, instruments, microphones, computers & other technology, other objects, etc.
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Pastoral Care, Meetings, Missions & Other
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Pastoral Care is available, with the observation of social distancing and mask requirements based on CDC guidelines. Contact the Cokesbury Memorial office to schedule a visit.
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Missions and other activities that require the use of the building will be coordinated by the Church office.
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The church office continues to respond to phone calls and e-mails. NO drop-in visits.
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Church leader mailboxes are temporarily located in Computer Lab.
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For copies or office supplies, contact Joan, Cokesbury's Office Manager by phone (410-676-6295) or e-mail (CokesburyAbingdon@gmail.com). Allow for a minimum of 1 business day response time.
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