Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
We hope your journey through Advent has started well.
With news of the Omicron variant, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, who leads the Church of England’s Covid Recovery Group, issued the following statement this week:
“The emergence of the omicron variant of Covid-19 is, understandably, a concern for all of us. We are grateful to the scientists around the world who have identified this strain so quickly and are working hard to learn more about it. As yet, little is known about its potential impact and we must exercise patience as we wait for further information. As we do so, there are important steps we should take now to protect ourselves and each another. The Government has outlined the return of compulsory face coverings in shops and on public transport in England and we should also continue to take other public health precautions that, by now, are very familiar, such as regular hand-washing, observing physical distancing and ensuring good ventilation indoors. If you are eligible, please also have your booster jab as soon as it is available. Meanwhile we are awaiting any new Government regulations and guidance and will update our advice for churches accordingly.”
Face coverings
You may want to take note that the Government has asked people to wear face coverings in a number of public contexts and so parishes, in reviewing their risk assessments, should give due thought for guidance on this matter. We would encourage you to use the language of “request” over the wearing of face coverings. Attached is the latest guidance from the national Church. Here is a link: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance
Detailed Government information on face coverings can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
Vaccinations and boosters
Please encourage people in your community to go forward for their vaccinations and boosters.
Security and staying safe
The current security threat level is SEVERE, meaning a terrorism attack is highly likely. We encourage you to take note of this and please think about security, particularly when the church is crowded with larger Advent & Christmas services. Please be vigilant.
We encourage you to be confident and take necessary precautions.
The Church of England has released its first ever Christmas single as part of its At the Heart of Christmas campaign. The single is a new carol version of In the Bleak Midwinter by one of the country’s top young composers, Rebecca Dale. Find out more about it here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/church-england-release-first-ever-christmas-single
We hope you will be blessed by the Advent prayers which Dean Andrew Nunn, Bishops Jonathan, Richard and Karowei will be sharing with you during this season, culminating with a message from Bishop Christopher.
Wishing you hope and joy this Advent season.
The Coronavirus Task Group
(Bishop Christopher, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, the Venerable Alastair Cutting, Ruth Martin and Sophia Jones)
