Dear St. Andrew Congregation,
In careful consideration of the latest guidelines from King County Public Health, it was decided on Wednesday, March 18 to request that Manatial de Vida (MdV) discontinue use of the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church building until King County revises their recommendations around social distancing. MdV was the only group continuing to use the Church facility after Session's March 9th decision to suspend St. Andrew's corporate worship and the Outbreak Task Force's March 11th decision to prohibit use by outside groups. Because of their unique status as a tenant during the time of less stringent social distancing requirements, the Task Force allowed Manatial to make their own decision regarding use of the Church after Pastor Scott presented them with the news of St. Andrew's suspension. Federal guidance now suggests the suspension of organized gatherings, and on March 16, 2020, King County Public Health issued emergency orders designed to minimize the health impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19). These orders state the following:
King County clearly outlines these steps, which can be read by accessing this link. Because St. Andrew is not in a position to ensure that another group using the Church would be able to strictly comply with these required steps (nor can we monitor compliance), the responsible course of action is to close the Church. The Task Force is also encouraging the Golden Hammer and Saw Team to suspend their activities to the extent possible; however, St. Andrew will remain accessible for administrative work that can be completed while in compliance with King County's emergency orders. Yours faithfully, Andrea Shirey and Teresa Platin, Co-Chairs The St. Andrew Outbreak Task Force
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Beloved St. Andrew Community,
During the COVID-19 outbreak, we urge St. Andrew members, family, and friends to follow the guidance from public health agencies and medical professionals. We suggest that everyone, especially older people and those with underlying health conditions, go beyond the precautions advised when it may help them avoid infection and reduce the rate and intensity of community spread. It is believed that the virus is mainly spread by droplets from an infected person’s lungs that go into the air as they cough or sneeze. It also spreads when you touch a surface with the virus on it and then touch your own face.
St. Andrew is providing ways for worshipping together and being in touch with each other even while physically separated. You do not have to choose between your health and your connection with our faith community. The Pastors and Deacons are available to help you and your family with whatever needs you may have. In the weeks and months ahead St. Andrew will be looking for new and better ways to reach out to you and support you through this difficult but temporary situation. The Task Force welcomes your thoughts and ideas. Some useful links: Centers for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 page King County Public Health World Health Organization (WHO) Administrative Commission Co-chairs, Teresa Platin 425-830-0971 Andrea Shirey 425-529-6690 ![]() The following is a post from Asaf Bitton MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: I know there is some confusion about what to do next in the midst of this unprecedented time of a pandemic, school closures, and widespread social disruption. I have been asked by a lot of people for my opinion, and I will provide it below based on the best information available to me today. This is my personal and well-informed opinion, and my take on the necessary steps ahead. What I can say as a physician and public health leader, is that what we do, or don't do, over the next week will have a massive impact on the local and perhaps national trajectory of coronavirus. We are only about 11 days behind Italy and generally on track to repeat what is unfortunately happening there, as well as much of the rest of Europe very soon. At this point, containment through contact tracing and testing is only part of the necessary strategy. We must move to pandemic mitigation through widespread, uncomfortable, and comprehensive social distancing. That means not only shutting down schools, work (as much as possible), group gatherings, and public events. It also means making daily choices to stay away from each other as much as possible to Flatten The Curve. Our health system will not be able to cope with the projected numbers of people who will need acute care should we not muster the fortitude and will to socially distance each other starting now. On a regular day, we have about 45k ICU beds nationally, which can be ramped up in a crisis to about 93k. Even moderate projections suggest that if current infectious trends hold, our capacity (locally and nationally) may be overwhelmed as early as mid-late April. Thus, the only set of interlinked strategies that can get us off this concerning trajectory is to work together as a community to maintain public health by staying apart. The wisdom, and necessity, of this more aggressive, early, and extreme form of social distancing can be found here. I would urge you to take a minute walking through the interactive graphs - they will drive home the point about what we need to do now to avoid a worse crisis later. So what does this enhanced form of social distancing mean on a daily basis, when schools are cancelled? I can suggest the following:
I realize there is a lot built into these suggestions, and that they represent a real burden for many people, businesses, and communities. Social distancing is hard and may negatively impact others, especially those who face vulnerabilities in our society. I recognize that there is structural and social inequity built in and around social distancing recommendations. We can and must take steps to bolster our community response to people who face food insecurity, domestic violence, and housing challenges, along with the many other social inequities. I also realize that not everyone can do everything. But we have to try our absolute best as a community, starting today. It is a public health imperative. If we don't do this now voluntarily, it will become necessary later involuntarily, when the potential benefits will be much less than doing so right now. ![]() There's good information, and there's bad information, and then there's dangerous misinformation. In this tentative time, let's help each other stay current and informed, and far away from the urban legends and other hoaxes that always crop up in times of crisis. Here's a fun and informative rundown on some of the more popular myths about the novel coronavirus. Many of these "cures" or prophylactic treatments are being rapidly passed around on social media, and while most of them aren't particularly dangerous to do, the real threat comes from a false sense of security (e.g., staying hydrated during the day is good advice in any situation, particularly during flu season, but it won't affect the coronavirus). From The Guardian, here's a good explanation on just how washing your hands with soap and water kills (or neutralizes, rather) the virus. And a journalist describes her time in the middle of the SARS epidemic and the Ebola crisis of a few years ago, very interesting and informative. Stay safe! And let's be careful news consumers and help each other avoid misinformation whenever we can. We'll do our part! Teresa Platin and Andrea Shirey![]() Beloved St. Andrew Community, As you are aware, St. Andrew has suspended worship for at least the next two weeks. We are committed to protecting our community and caring for each other physically and spiritually. The Session has formed a task force to guide St. Andrew as this situation develops. As a team, we have been meeting daily to review the guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the King County and the Seattle Presbytery to make informed and deliberate decisions. With guidance from these officials and considerations of our values, we have decided to meet remotely over the next few Sundays. Here is how we will serve our community: On Sunday morning, you will receive an email guide for worship. We encourage you to gather as a family or small group to light a candle, pour some water, and hold this time as sacred. While it is not intended to mimic our weekly gathering, it will help us continue to worship God and tether our community together. The staff of St Andrew is ready and excited to try different ways to celebrate as a community. We have many ideas and will be adjusting based on feedback from the congregation, so please let us know your thoughts and extend grace as we try new things. People without access to technology will receive written messages through the mail. The deacons and staff will continue to check in with our parishioners. Any prayer requests should be submitted through deacons or to Pat Sharpe. These will go out, as usual through the weekly St. Andrew prayers email distribution list. We are a strong community. We do better together. St. Andrew is encouraging people to practice “social distance,” not “spiritual isolation.” If you are healthy and without risk factors, please continue to meet in small social groups. If you are 60 or over, are currently sick or if you have medical conditions, we strongly urge you to stay connected by phone or electronically rather than face-to-face to protect yourself and others. Reach out to the deacons, elders and staff if you are in need of prayers or have physical needs. We have resources to give. Administrative Commission Co-chairs, Teresa Platin 425-830-0971 Andrea Shirey 425-529-6690 Beloved St. Andrew Community,
The Session met on Monday evening and, after prayerfully identifying and weighing the many values we hold together in tension as a church, made two important decisions.
You will hear more in the next few days, but for now, we wanted to make you aware so you can plan accordingly. Grace & Peace, Scott Beloved ones:
I want to offer a brief follow-up to the communication sent out yesterday regarding COVID-19. I want you to be aware of the current recommendations from King County Public Health, specifically the guidance for those who are considered higher risk: Guidance for people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 Illness Public Health recommends that people at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible, including public places with lots of people and large gatherings where there will be close contact with others. This includes concert venues, conventions, sporting events, and crowded social gatherings. People at higher risk include people:
I am aware that there can be subtle pressures, either internally, or externally imposed, that might lead us to unwise choices. I have in mind a pastor colleague in the area who, in weighing communication with the pastor’s congregation, said recently “I already know of at least 2 medically fragile, 80+ year-olds who would show up, even at the potential expense of their health.” So I want you to hear, directly from me, if you are feeling symptoms or feeling vulnerable due to underlying health conditions or simply being in a higher risk group, we want to encourage you to stay comfortable at home. We will be together again soon enough! If you are homebound or quarantined during this time and in need of support or meals, please contact your deacon or me so we can be of support to you. Grace & Peace, Scott Beloved St. Andrew community,
We want you to be aware that St. Andrew is committed to being proactive, reasonable, and instructive as we respond to a complex and rapidly evolving situation around the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the resulting infection, COVID-19 (from Corona Virus Disease 2019). The health and safety of our community and all of our partners who share the facility is paramount. Yet we also recognize that at the heart of our faith is life that is shared. We need to be together, even as we need to protect one another, and honor the choices of others—especially those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 and other corona viruses. We trust we all will refrain from making judgment or taking offense in this time of anxiety. Therefore, we do not anticipate “neglecting to meet together” (Hebrews 10:25), even as other organizations may choose to do so. At this point we plan to worship together weekly. We have and may cancel, reschedule or hold remotely other meetings. Exercising an abundance of caution, we have implemented additional preventative measures to reduce contamination and transmission, including these:
By now I trust you have been educating yourself on what we know and what we don’t know about the disease and best practices to prevent its spread. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that while the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low for the general public in the United States, current global circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will continue to spread and more US cases will be identified. According to the CDC, There is still much to learn about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. Based on what is currently known, person-to-person contamination happens most frequently with close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets. Transmission of COVID-19 to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented, but current evidence suggests that the virus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. The CDC recognizes preventing and mitigating an outbreak as the most important strategy and recommends these common preventative measures.
Above all, remember and rejoice that “nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Brief Statement of Faith; Romans 8:38-39). Grace & Peace, Scott |
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