Dear brothers and sisters:

Thank you for getting fully vaccinated as soon as you can, wearing masks, keeping physical distancing, maintaining diligent hand hygiene and following all public health recommendations to keep everyone safe and healthy.
As a family in Christ, our hearts ache for those of us who have lost loved ones during the pandemic. We pray for God’s mercy, grace, strength, comfort and healing.

Although every one fully vaccinated has good protection against getting infected and excellent protection against hospitalization and death, as of today, more than 30% of people in Ontario are still not fully vaccinated. There is a real danger of a fourth wave of the delta variant. We have to be cautious since the delta variant is one of the most easily transmitted viruses known and it causes more severe disease and death even among the young. One person infected with the delta variant infects 8-9 others compared to 2 others for the original alpha strain.

We note that while some people prefer in-person meetings, many people have found the online meetings to be more accessible and convenient.

The government still requires mask, 2 meter distancing, contact tracing information and cleaning for all indoor church gatherings. However, for indoor or outdoor small gatherings at home for vaccinated people, no mask or physical distancing is required. In view of this we encourage safe in-person small gatherings in homes or parks rather than at the church. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/awareness-resources/vaccinated-against-covid-19-public-health-measures/vaccinated-against-covid-19-public-health-measures.pdf

Due to the lack of manpower, limited internet bandwidth, the need to purchase and installnew equipment and finding rooms for the new equipment, we are still preparing for future in-person worship. We will continue the online worship for now. We thank each pastor, staff and volunteer for making online worship possible.

A survey of the pastoral staff showed that most of them still feel safer to work from homeand do not feel that their congregations are ready for in-person worship or meetings at the church.

The Church will be sending out a survey in the near future to every church attendant to understand each congregation’s readiness, expectations and concerns about in-person worship and meetings. Please complete and return the surveys. We value your opinion which will help inform our decisions.

It has come to the attention of the committee that some people who have booked the use of the church have violated church and public health guidelines regarding physical distancing and mandatory use of face covering. The committee has instructed Queenie that any one booking use of the church will need to guarantee in writing that their group will follow all PublicHealth guidelines.
https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-reopening-recovery-rebuild/covid-19-reopening-guidelines-for-businesses-organizations/covid-19-guidance-faith-based-organizations/

Those who violates the guidelines will be given one warning. If the violation continues, they will be suspended from use of church facilities for one month. If after the one month suspension, they violate the guidelines again, they will be suspended from use of church facilitiesfor 3 months.

For people using church facilities to record elements for the worship service, Plexiglas barriers will be installed after consultation with the users in the affected areas such as in the sanctuaries. The guideline from our Sept 13, 2020 update still apply:
“There was a question about whether a mask or face covering is needed if there is only one person in the entire room singing and leading worship. The answer is that we prefer everyone to wear a mask or face covering indoors. This is especially so since singing involves the projection of more droplets for greater distances compared to talking. However, if the singer is unable to sing or lead worship wearing a mask or face covering, we would allow that provided that everyone else in the room is wearing one. The singer must stay behind the Plexiglas barrier of the pulpit when singing. If others within the same social bubble are involved, then they too are allowed not to wear a mask or face covering when in the same area on stage as the singer. The area within a 4 meter distance around the singer must be cleaned and disinfected after use.”

The same would apply for the chairperson or preacher of the worship service.

We are thankful that we have Covid vaccines approved for every one over 12 years old now. It is anticipated that approval for those 5 to 11 years old will come in Sept/Oct, 2021 and for those aged 6 months and up will come in Nov/Dec, 2021. We are hopeful that everyone overthe age of 6 months who wants to be fully vaccinated will be by Feb, 2022. If the Covid transmission is controlled then, it is hoped that the government would relax some of the present restrictions.

Please get fully vaccinated if you haven’t. The benefits far outweigh the risks. Please encourage everyone you know to get fully vaccinated. It is so sad to see people suffering and dying needlessly or causing others to suffer and die needlessly because they refused to get the life-saving vaccine. This is the only way we will end this pandemic and have our lives return to closer to normal.

We continue to monitor the pandemic closely and act proactively to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

If you have any comments, suggestions, feedback or questions, please contact us through admin@gcgcny.org.

Grace and peace,
Covid-19 Response Team

Rev Chan – representing the church staff
Queenie – representing the Cantonese congregation
Edwin – representing the Mandarin congregation
Sylvia – representing the English congregation
Felicity – representing the Children congregation
TK – team lead and representing the church Board of Directors

新冠肺炎應變小組緊急新訊 (2021/08/01)

親愛的弟兄姊妹：

多謝大家盡快接種疫苗注射、戴口罩、保持安全社交距離、保持雙手衛生及跟從政府的防疫指引以保各人健康和安全。

在主裏的大家庭，我們為著在疫情中有家人離世的難過，求主賜下憐憫、恩典、力量、安慰及醫治。

雖然全民接種疫苖能加強保護並減底感染、住院及死亡的機率，但至今超過三成的安省居民還沒完成接種疫苖。隨著 delta 變異病毒可能引發的第四波疫情，大家必須警覺提防其高度傳播的危險性，按已有資料，delta 變異病毒即使在年青人中也導致更嚴重病況和死亡。最初的新冠肺炎病毒的感染率為一傳二，但 delta 則為一傳八至九人。

我們明白會眾中有盼望盡快重啟實體聚會的，但也有感到網上聚會較為方便和切合其需要的。

現時，政府仍要求出席教會室內聚會的要戴口罩和保持兩米社交距離、教會要保有出席人士資料及場地用後消毒。若在家或戶外聚會，已接種疫苖的則無需戴口罩和保持距離。因此，若選擇小眾實體聚會，我們建議選擇在家或公園，而不是在教會場地。
https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/awareness-resources/vaccinated-against-covid-19-public-health-measures/vaccinated-against-covid-19-public-health-measures.pdf

當我們重啟實體崇拜時將會網上同步進行，但由於人力資源及網速的限制，需設置和安裝新器材以配合新運作模式，而這些都需要時間，因此暫時仍會在網上崇拜。我們感謝教牧團隊及協助網上崇拜的眾弟兄姊妹，讓我們能順利在網上敬拜。

最近查詢教牧團隊，大多數表示仍感現時在家工作較為安全，而大多數會眾還沒準備此刻回到教會實體敬拜或聚會。

稍後教會將進行網上問卷調查，查詢各堂會眾的意見及取向；屆時請踴躍回應，好讓教會能因應大家的回應作安排和決定。
應變小組留意到有使用教會場地的沒有遵守教會及政府的防疫指引，沒有保持距離及戴口罩或面罩，應變小組已指示教會幹事高太，所有借用教會場地的都必須書面保證遵守政府防疫指引。
https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-reopening-recovery-rebuild/covid-19-reopening-guidelines-for-businesses-organizations/covid-19-guidance-faith-based-organizations/

任何人士首次違反指引將接到警告，再次違反則會暫停使用場地一個月，其後若再次違反則會暫停使用場地三個月。

教會在徵詢相關人士後，將會在禮堂 A 及 B 安裝保護屏障 Plexiglas。使用教會設施錄備崇拜的，必須遵守去年九月已有的守則：
「有題問若全場只有一人領唱，是否仍需戴口罩或面罩。回應是室內配戴口罩或面罩仍是最佳選擇，因為唱歌引起的霧化距離比說話遠；然而若因戴口罩或面罩而無法領唱，當在場所有其他人都有戴口罩或面罩時，領唱在台上保護屏障範圍內可以不戴口罩或面罩領唱；若有同屬一個社交圈(social bubble)的參予領會，在台上同一範圍內可以不配戴口罩或面罩，但領唱所在範圍四米內須於其使用後清潔消毒。」

此守則適用於主席及講員。

我們為著疫苖適用於十二歲以上使用而感恩，預計九至十月會批准五至十一歲兒童接種疫苖，到年底將批准六個月以上兒童接種疫苖；期盼所有願意的到明年二月時都已完成接種疫苖。若感染受控，有望政府解除現有部份限制。

若你仍未完成接種疫苖，請盡快完成接種。接種疫苖的好處大於風險，請鼓勵認識的人都完成接種疫苖。看到那些因不願接種疫苖的人讓自己或令他人受感染而招致不必要的苦楚或死亡時，實在難過。接種疫苖是結束疫情以致能重回較為正常生活的唯一方法。

我們將繼續密切留意疫情發展，並基於大家的安全和健康作決定。

多謝大家的諒解及忍耐。　

如有任何意見、建議、回饋或問題，可電郵admin@gcgcny.org。

願主賜下恩典與平安。

應變小組啟

應變小組成員包括：
黃達琨執事TK (董事會代表及應變小組組長)
陳訓民牧師Fanco (教牧代表)
高譚綺萍姊妹Queenie (粵語事工代表)
葛非執事 Edwin (國語事工代表)
司徒靜姬姊妹 Sylvia (英語事工代表)
陳張筱敏執事 Felicity (兒童事工代表)