Covid-19 and St Alban's Church
Currently the church is open on Sundays for a socially distanced Mass at 10:00 a.m., which are also be available live on Zoom and later as a recording on Youtube.
Despite the falling rate of infection and the progress in vaccination of the groups most at risk from Covid-19, the level of infection in the West Midlands remains high, and we have added further precautions to our risk assessment:
- You must book before you come to church either by e-mailing info@saintalban.co.uk or by phoning Fr Gerry on 0121 440 0404 to ensure that there will be room for you within the reduced number that the church can accommodate safely. (The capacity for the congregation is limitted to 30 people at this time.)
- You must wear a face covering over your nose and mouth at all times except when receiving communion and you may also remove your face covering to read the lessons or intercessions.
- Please sanitize your hands on entering the church.
- Go straight to your seat, the seats are marked up green for places you can sit and red for those that are less than 2 m away from other seats or standing places and are not to be used.
- Please bring a pen with you and fill in the track and trace form.
- Only the cantor(s), who will be located well away from the congregation, are allowed to sing.
- When moving around church please follow the one-way system and if you have to queue stand on the yellow arrows marked out on the floor to ensure you are separated from members of other households.
- Please sanitize your hands before and after receiving communion.
- When leaving the church please don’t stand around in groups with less that 2m between bubbles. We all want to catch up with each other but please remember that it is dangerous and unlawful to mingle with other households.
By following all these rules we will minimise the risk of cross infection with Covid-19 while in the church.
Streaming the Sunday Mass on Zoom and posting it on YouTube will continue as usual.
For the present the Thursday and Saturday morning will remain suspended.
Please continue to protect others and yourself by:
- washing your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or sanitising them with gel containing at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol;
- where possible maintaining 2m social distancing from others who are not part of your household or social bubble;
- wearing a face covering or mask in indoor spaces that are also used (not necessarily simultaneously) by others who are not part of your household or social bubble;
- staying at home as much as possible
A Prayer for the Covid-19 Pandemic, from the Church of England:
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Further prayers from the Church of England for the Viral Pandemic here.