PARDON OUR DUST. ONGOING SITE MAINTENANCE
From Dahlgren United Methodist Church
Information for members, and our extended church family and friends and the community on what we are striving to do as a church to help in this time of crisis.
Effective 2 August Dahlgren UMC is open for In- Person Worship.
The procedures and practices established by the church Relaunch/Healthy Church Team for safety and compliance with latest guidance from the State and Conference have worked well. We’ve been pleased by the regular attendance. We have come close but not yet to hit capacity where we’ve needed to make use of the designated area for overflow. The church team continues to monitor guidance and direction from both the State and the Conference to evolve our practices and procedures to minimize the risk to individuals and the larger community DUMC serves.
The actual risks vary dramatically depending on the individual and local conditions. We can expect guidance will evolve as more is learned about why individuals and localities with the same apparent characteristics experience such disparate impact from the pandemic.
Personal and community risk vary widely from person-to-person and locality. Thus, the decision to attend or not attend in-person worship and other activities at DUMC is a personal responsibility, based on such considerations as:
The individuals age and health and that of members of their their household, and extended circle of regular contacts.
The number, frequency and extent (geographic area and types of activity) that characterize your immediate household’s activities.
Situational awareness of current local statistics statistics and trends in the pandemic for that area.
Virginia Conference Guidance and Resources
Virginia Conference Response to Latest CDC GuidancE
Portal for access to FAQ, official conference guidance, and letters from Bishop Lewis.
GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH CARE INFORMATION
Sources of regularly update and authoritative information on the progression of the pandemic and national responses.
National Resources
BEING UPDATED as of 10/9/2021. As of this date, links to most of the primary resources are also available on the current Virginian Conference Link above.
Virginia
Virginia State Health Department COVID Web Site
A portal with links to comprehensive information on all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with current statistics on State/Regional outbreaks.
Check this section regularly for links to information on what are being proposed as good personal practices for avoiding infection.
Current Conference, State and Federal guidelines recommend that all persons over the age of 2 mask to help reduce community transmission of CoVID-SARS.
Below are links a pattern and instructions making a mask, and a link to a WHO video providing specific advice on their proper use and disposal.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The information in the WHO video on the proper use of masks was posted early in the pandemic. It focuses on the importance of masking for health care providers, and some of the recommendations are not consistent with the latest information and recommendations from CDC which are aimed at reducing community transmission.
We’ve left it posted because it makes several important points. A mask only provides a measure of protection that reduces the probability and level of exposure, statistically reducing the rate of infection. The primary benefit to limit the quantity and spread of the virus from an infected person at the source. Masking is not guaranteed to prevent transmission of the disease and common sense should be used in following other recommendations for limiting risk of exposure.
Pattern for DIY Mask [Notes:Downloaded from Mary Washington Health Care Web Site. CDC advises use of hottest water setting and thoroughly drying potentially contaminated laundry. ]