Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With Staten Island houses of worship permitted to start in-person services this week, you should plan to get there early because only 25% capacity is allowed.

Houses of worship say they will strictly enforce the capacity limits in Phases 2 of reopening following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which starts Monday.

The synagogues are taking this very seriously, said Mendy Mirocznik, president of the Council of Jewish Organizations (COJO).

The guidelines and recommendations based upon age and health considerations must be paramount. ... We are very thankful the cases are down and the curve is flat. ...It appears under control. We dont want to ruin that, and we want to continue that positive effect. We will follow the guidelines and play it safe and hopefully, slowly we will be able to expand [capacity] even more, he added.

MASKS REQUIRED

Some houses of worship require masks to be worn throughout the service.

For example, at Our Lady Help of Christians in Tottenville, masks will be required, and social distancing will be maintained at all times, according to the churchs website.

MARKED PEWS, HAND SANITIZER AND SEPARATE ENTRANCES

And depending on your individual church or synagogue, there are other rules in place as these religious institutions open.

For example, at Blessed Sacrament Church in West Brighton, only 125 people will be allowed in the church at one time for social distancing. Mass will also be offered in the gym for additional seating. Automatic hand sanitizers will be available at the entrance, and pews will be sanitized after each mass. Every other pew will be marked off for social distancing, according to the churchs website.

Similarly, Sacred Heart Church in West Brighton will reopen on Monday with a 105 person limit at each mass, wedding or baptism. Safety protocols include social distancing, mask requirements and hand sanitizer will be available, according to the churchs website.

St. Patricks Church in Richmond will require social distancing, masks will be required and there will only be one entrance into the church through the main doors, according to the churchs website.

EPISCOPAL CHURCHES

The Episcopal Diocese of New York will open its churches on July 1, according to dioceseny.org.

After July 1, state guidelines will determine the number of people allowed to gather for in-person worship. Masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing will be required at houses of worship, according to the website.

Its recommended you check your individual house of worship for guidelines.

Read the original post:

Get to church or synagogue early; houses of worship open in Phase 2 at 25% capacity - SILive.com

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