If you have watched or listened to any news in the last three weeks, you are aware how rapidly the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is spreading in the United States. The test-positivity rates here in Texas and in our city are higher than they have been at any point in the pandemic. While Omicron likely causes less severe disease in most people, it has still been deadly to some and many people are hospitalized. And the Delta variant is still circulating. With these things in mind, in an effort to protect those around us our administrative committees will be meeting online through February, at which time we will reassess the situation. Also, when you come to in-person worship on Sunday, you will see our tape back on every other pew to help with social distancing measures. We continue to request that everyone on campus wear a mask. I am aware that many of our Sunday School classes and small groups are going without masks and I encourage you to reconsider this practice. Masks are among the best interventions in the spread of Covid-19 (and all the other viruses circulating this winter). Everything we can do to take care of one another and our medical personnel is a good thing.
Thank you for the patience and care you give to one another.
Gratefully,
Pastor Abril
P.S. Recent science demonstrates that surgical masks worn by all persons reduce transmission rates tremendously. N95s or KN95s are even better. A cloth mask gives about 30 minutes of protection. Surgical masks give an hour and N95s give 25 hours of protection!
(Here’s a link to the meta study: www.bmj.com and here’s a simpler breakdown for the non-scientists among us: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/ )
