Guidelines for dealing with cold/flu season and in regards to the Covid-19 outbreak from Executive Archdeacon & Vicar General, Robert Camara

Within your own parishes and communities please keep these guidelines in mind:

1. Celebrants, communion administrators, liturgical ministers, and servers must, follow proper hand washing and hand sanitizing techniques. This means washing hands prior to the beginning of worship, and the use of hand sanitizers immediately before the Preparation of the Gifts. Hands should also be washed after the liturgy.

2. Any person distributing the sacrament from the common cup must be trained in appropriate etiquette and in the proper methods for wiping the vessel between communicants. In particular, fresh purificators need to be used for each service and for each communion cup; purificators may need to be changed more frequently depending upon the size of the congregation. The purificator should be shaken out and repositioned so that a fresh spot is used each time it is used to wipe the common cup.

3. Scent-free hand sanitizers should be available at strategic locations and particularly at entrances of the church. Note: the higher the alcohol content the better. Parishioners should be encouraged to use them before attending worship or other activities on church property.

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