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The Union Church in Waban
Important Updates from the
Phase Forward Team
12/10/2021
With Covid cases on the rise, and dear members of our congregation testing positive, our Phase Forward team has been working hard to ensure we continue to gather as safely as possible. The following are two important updates from the team:

Phase Forward Guidelines for Coming Back to the Union Church after you or someone you live with, or a close contact, has had Covid: 

The Union Church in Waban, relying on CDC guidance, asks that anyone who has tested positive for Covid return to in-person worship or gatherings at the church only after:

  • At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared (or, for asymptomatic cases, 10 days past their first positive viral diagnostic test), and
  • At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
  • Symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improve

For individuals who are considered a close contact of someone with COVID-19 infection

  • Unvaccinated individuals may not return in-person to UCW until 14 days after their last exposure to the individual with COVID-19 infection, and only provided they have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection. 
  • Vaccinated individuals who live with an individual with COVID-19 infection may return in-person to UCW only after their COVID-19 infected household member completes their isolation and the following additional criteria are met: The close contact must remain asymptomatic, and the close contact must have a negative PCR test taken after their COVID-19 infected household member completes their isolation.  

Vaccinated individuals who are close contacts with non-household members may continue to come in-person to UCW provided they remain asymptomatic and wear a mask at all times, unless counseled otherwise by their local board of health. We ask those who have been close contacts with non-household members to take a rapid home antigen self-test, or a PCR test, before coming to the church in-person.  Please contact one of the pastors if you have questions or concerns, or trouble accessing a rapid test. 
HEPA Filtration Systems Installed and In Use

After consultation and following recommendations for the size of the Sanctuary, a HEPA Filtration system in the form of individual machines has now been installed in the Sanctuary. The filters function to change the air on a regular basis and are a supplementary measure to help UCW reduce the risk of Covid transmission in the Sanctuary, especially during the winter months. We remain attentive to other practices like social distancing, sanitizing and the like to do what we can to lessen risk of exposure. Our goal is to keep our church building healthy and our congregation and staff safe.