Aurora Community Church COVID-19 Exposure Control, Mitigation and Recovery Plan in accordance with Washington State requirements for Religious and Faith-Based Organizations

Washington State Phase 3: Indoor Gatherings Limited to 50% or 400 Persons
Last Updated May 20, 2021

Coming and Going:

  1. All employees, members, and visitors in attendance, regardless of vaccination status, must wear face coverings before and after the service, except for those under age two and those with a medical exemption. During the services, vaccinated persons may remove their face covering while in their seats but, for the sake of children and those who are not able to be vaccinated, please wear your face covering at all other times. WA requirement #3
  2. All in attendance must perform self-screening prior to coming to church. If you are feeling sick for any reason, have a temperature of 100.4F or more, or see that your children do not feel well, please do not come to church.  If you have been in contact with someone within the last 14 days who has tested positive for COVID-19, please do not come to church, but call the church, so we can pray for your health, and help you view the sermon online. WA requirement #14
  3. All children and families checking into Aurora Kids will be screened for temperature and symptoms upon checking in. 
  4. If you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of attending a service at Aurora Community Church, please call the church so we can anonymously inform our congregation and work with the King County health officials.
  5. Please, greet each other with a friendly wave and “Hello,” but no handshakes or hugs at this time. WA requirement #4
  6. Maintain at least 6 feet between you and your fellow congregant, unless that person is in your immediate household. WA requirement #4

Sanitation:

  1. Chairs, doorknobs, handrails, and restrooms will be cleaned using soapy water, followed by disinfectants, after each Sunday. WA requirement #9
  2. Restrooms will be available. Please limit use to 1 person at a time. Remember to maintain physical distancing of 6 feet while waiting for the restroom. WA requirement #6
  3. Soap is provided for use in each restroom for washing hands. WA requirement #7
  4. Hand sanitizer will be provided for use throughout the building. WA requirement #7
  5. Disinfectants will be available for use by all in attendance and kept in supply. WA requirement #8
  6. Tissues and trashcans will be available throughout the building. WA requirement #13
  7. Ventilation systems will be operated as applicable to prevent the stagnation of the air. WA requirement #12

Service:

  1. Chairs will be placed around the room to aid in having households sit together, but not be closer than the CDC-recommended 6 feet to other church families. Vaccinated individuals may sit together with other vaccinated individuals, but please allow for 6 feet between unvaccinated individuals. WA requirement #10
  2. Unvaccinated individuals must wear three-layer surgical masks and maintain a minimum of 6 feet of physical distancing while singing. An unvaccinated soloist may sing without a mask provided they maintain 15 feet of physical distancing. Vaccinated individuals may sing without masks. WA requirement #5
  3. The offering trays will not be passed during the service. Please drop your offering in the box in the foyer on your way in or out of the service, or continue to give online or by mail. WA requirement #4
  4. Communion will be in pre-assembled single-serve portions and will be picked up at the back of the ASM Student Lounge, not passed out by ushers. WA requirement #4

At-Risk Individuals:

1. CDC has designated certain groups of our population as being more at risk of having serious complications due to the virus and recommends that individuals in these at-risk groups take extra precautions in order to not contract this highly contagious disease. According to the CDC these groups include the elderly (age 65 and older), those with underlying health conditions, and those with disabilities. For more information, visit https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html
2. If you are a person in one of these categories, you are advised by the CDC to take extra precautions. These extra precautions may include staying home, where you can watch a live recording of the worship service online.  

Known Cases of COVID-19:

1. If we are made aware of any positive cases of COVID-19 in our church body, and they attended in-person service, Aurora Community Church staff will notify everyone in the church and the King County Health District, and advise the church body to follow the 14 day self-quarantine guidelines of the State Department of Health: https://www.doh.wa.gov/ Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/COVIDexposed.pdf

Postings:

1. 1. This document will be emailed to members of Aurora Community Church and will be posted in the following locations:
  • Aurora Community Church website  
    WA requirement #1
2. CDC signs promoting safe gatherings will be prominently displayed in the following locations:
  • Each entry to the church 
  • Each room used for meetings
  • Restrooms
    WA requirement #2