Guernsey churches resume lockdown

They issued this release:

The life and worship of our churches will continue in private prayer, in live-streamed services, and in other ways in which we can serve our community safely.

In our care and concern for the whole community of these islands, we have made the following decisions on behalf of our churches:

• All public worship in all our churches will be suspended with immediate effect and until we are advised that it is safe to resume public worship;
• Most church buildings will remain closed, except for access by those preparing for, or officiating at, live-streamed services; and
• Anyone entering a church building will be asked to record their names and contact details, to assist the States’ staff in ‘track and trace’.

We are grateful for the decision that churches may be used for funeral services, subject to the detailed guidance to be issued by the States of Guernsey.

We encourage everybody who is invited to receive a vaccination to take up the offer, so that the community as a whole can be protected from further infection. We much regret, and deprecate, opposition to vaccination that is being circulated in social media.

Finally, we express our warmest thanks to the staff of the States of Guernsey and our political leaders for their prompt response and their unambiguous message today. We offer our prayers for them and for all the people of Guernsey, that, by working together, our islands can once again enjoy the freedom and security that we have valued so much.

The Guernsey church leaders are:

The Very Revd Tim Barker, Dean of Guernsey
The Revd Dr David Coulter, Church of Scotland
Major Jamie Hill, Salvation Army
Pastor Mick Leggett, Elim churches
Pastor John Ogier, Baptist churches
Fr Chris Rutledge, Catholic Dean of Guernsey
The Revd Howard Stringer, Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Church in Guernsey