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August 11, 2021   |   VOL. 2  No. 13
As disciples of Jesus Christ, our goal with this guidance is to ensure safety, protect the vulnerable among us and support the common good. Please remember that many people are unvaccinated and may not be able to receive the vaccine for various reasons. As a welcoming Catholic Church, we must ensure they feel safe to worship and glorify God in person.
Masking Update
The Archdiocese of Seattle recommends wearing masks indoors. However masks are required if directed by local county public health. As of 8-12-2021 Snohomish County is requiring indoor masks for all residents over the age of five.  

Per the archdiocesan guidance at Mass, ministers will still be allowed to remove masks when speaking, reading, proclaiming the Gospel and preaching.  There is an exception for people who cannot wear a mask. They should not be turned away but instead escorted to an area of distanced seating.  


Back to School
While everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer, it is time to start preparing for the new school year. Please note that schools follow a different set of guidelines and therefore, there will be some discrepancy between what is allowed at a parish and what is allowed at a school. By law, schools are required to follow the Washington State Department of Health K-12 COVID-19 Requirements, which can be found here

Below is a list of key items that everyone should be aware of: 
  • Everyone must always wear a mask when inside the school buildings. This includes parents, volunteers, staff, students, and visitors.
  • Per the Secretary of Health’s Mask Order, face coverings are not required outdoors. Masks are strongly recommended for unvaccinated individuals when outdoors in crowded spaces or when in close contact with people outside their household. Schools should support students and staff who choose to wear a mask or face covering outdoors.
  • Schools are required to track vaccinations for staff, volunteers, and students. Schools may use an existing tracking system, develop their own, or use this sample tracking sheet.
    • To verify vaccination, acceptable documentation includes:
      • CDC vaccination card, which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date(s) administered, or a photo of the vaccination card. 
      • Documentation of vaccination from a health care provider with the information listed above. 
      • State immunization information system record with the information listed above. 
      • Other school immunization record system that provides the information above.
    • Verbal attestation for vaccination is not acceptable.
    • Schools do not need to keep copies of vaccination documentation. 
  • If a staff member or volunteer is unvaccinated, this person must keep a minimum of 6 feet of distance from students.
  • For CYO sports, we are awaiting updates from the Department of Health. For now, we are following the summer guidance, which allows students to be unmasked when outdoors.

Delta Variant & Clarification on Requirements
With the emergence of the highly contagious and transmissible Delta Variant we must limit “close contact,” which is 15 minutes of face-to-face contact within 6 feet of an infected person and re-commit to the principles we used a year ago to successfully control and mitigate infection:  
The following are updated recommendations (per pastoral discretion) and requirements for every parish to consider:
  • Recommendation that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a three-layer (surgical) mask indoors. However, masks are required if directed by the local county public health. (As of 8-12-2021 Snohomish County is requiring masks indoor for everyone older than 5.)
  • Recommendation that all singers wear masks and that congregational singing be limited or avoided altogether.
  • Recommendation that fresh air be brought inside worship and meeting spaces, and events occur outdoors when possible.  
  • Recommendation that time together indoors be limited to one hour at a time. 
  • Recommendation to reserve a section at every Mass for people who wish to sit physically distanced from each other. This section should provide 6 feet of space in all directions. 
  • Requirement that every parish follow the proper reporting protocols for any exposures (known positive cases): 
    • Assure the person confidentiality.  Gather information related to date, time on site and people with whom the person had interactions.
    • Contact your local county health department to report the exposure and determine what follow up is required.
    • Contact the archdiocese at SeattleMass2020@seattlearch.org or 206-382-2060.  

Parish Exposures
The Archdiocese of Seattle has been tracking parish exposure since the beginning of the pandemic. To date we have 84 reported cases of exposure with only 1 case of spreading, which was traced to a choir. If your parish has any exposures, please be sure to report them to SeattleMass2020@seattlearch.org. 
 
 
Vaccine Resources
While Washington state has celebrated a key milestone in reaching vaccination targets, there are still many in our communities who remain unvaccinated. Sadly, many times this is due to misinformation, especially in many cultural communities. If parishioners are looking to you for guidance, here are a few resources:

“Receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines ought to be understood as an act of charity toward the other members of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.”

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2021


 
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