•Sunday worship services returned to the sanctuary in April 2022 with a hybrid format:  in person and via Zoom for those at home.  Religious Education (RE) classes and our nursery are also open on Sundays. No zoom option for RE.   Information about Zoom availability is included with various groups and activities under CONNECT in the top menu.

• Masks are optional for the vaccinated but  we ask anyone not fully vaccinated and boosted to wear one to protect themselves and others.  And anyone ill or in contact with those who are should worship via Zoom.

• People in the sanctuary are asked to mask when singing hymns.

UUCH COVID-19 Guidelines

 updated September 2025

Introduction and Background

As we acknowledge our transition from pandemic COVID-19 days, and consult the WHO for guidance on post pandemic policies, we find that they have posted guidelines for countries to use to manage this transition. The WHO organization has advised countries to continue providing vaccines, doing testing, and collecting data as well as supporting ongoing research.

The UUA, the NIH and the CDC, remain without updated policies.

Original Recommendations from the WHO 

The WHO guidelines advise countries to maintain an updated national policy,  but do not include updatedguidelines for what to do if one tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to COVID-19.  The WHO original guidelines stated to consider quarantine/masking for 14 days if exposed to someone who is now positive for COVID- 19, or for the length of time in national or local regulations, and that symptoms appear 5 to 6 days after exposure. The original testing guidelines were to test on day 5, and if negative, also on day 6 after exposure. If they test positive, isolation until tested negative two days in a row is recommended. (This review is intended to empower church leaders to model consistent and responsible health behaviors, for ourselves and for others.)

Measures already in place

We have a ventilation system which circulates air frequently and a UV light installed in our system. At each Sunday service we announce that the congregation needs to mask while singing.

UUCH Guidelines for COVID-19

As a way of best serving the health needs of the UUCH congregation we will use the following guidelines.

• Continue to provide masks in the worship service for congregants, as they are sitting close to each other, and advise them to use masks while singing.
• Continue to encourage congregants to stay at home should they not feel well.
• Widely publicize to the congregation this policy (for example consider bulletin boards, Order of Service announcements inserts, emails, newsletters).
• If a participant at a church event or worship service subsequently calls a Board of Trustees member and states they have now tested positive for COVID-19, the Board member will, while expressing concern for their health and well being, ask the congregant now infected to give us permission to use their name in a general announcement to our members and friends. This permission is useful to allow congregants to make decisions based on the specific knowledge of whether they were in close proximity (3 feet or less) for 15 minutes or more to the individual now positive for COVID-19.
• If the person calling the Board member denies permission to use their name, we will advise the person with a positive Covid-19 test to alert the person/s they spoke with directly before and after the service or event, and especially the individuals they sat near during the event or service.
• If permission to use their name is not given, we may not override that request and share the name, as we are not a Health Department or the like.
• However, someone living with or visiting frequently with an individual who is immune compromised, may make masking and quarantine decisions differently if they had the information that they might have been exposed to COVID-19, so we will choose to share information knowing it may alarm some folks without giving specific facts.
• We will send a group email saying the specific person if permission is granted or saying “someone” from the event or service has now tested positive for COVID19. We will advise folks to contact their primary medical care provider for assistance with healthcare decisions such as quarantine and masking and testing, as each person’s health situation is unique, plus the fact that variants and therefore medical guidelines are changing.
• This policy will be revised as the situation warrants.