Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Updated Wednesday 23 March, 10:17

The Church of England has released updated guidance to reflect the latest Government advice

Updated Tuesday 25 January, 14:32

The Church of England has released updated guidance for parishes on opening and managing church buildings.

Updated Wednesday 5 January, 11:49

Church Schools' SIAM inspections to be temporarily paused: Read here.

Updated Thursday 9 December, 19:38

The Church of England has updated their guidance for the opening and managing of church buildings.

Updated Wednesday 1 December, 11:03

The Church of England has released updated guidance for churches.

Updated Monday 29 November, 15:11

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally has released a statement regarding the new omicron variant of Covid-19.

Updated Thursday 11 November, 16:05
New FAQ: How do we keep buildings well ventilated in winter?

The government recommends following guidance from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.

Section 5 of this guidance is particularly relevant for church buildings and parish halls.

Updated: Wednesday 3rd November, 11.48

Updated documents:

• Opening and managing church buildings

At present, incidence of the virus is high, though Government statistics tentatively point to it beginning to decrease.

Largely due to the success of the vaccination programme, hospitalisations and deaths remain at a much lower level than at similar points during the pandemic, but the continuation of this will be dependent on a good uptake of booster vaccinations.

However, vaccination cannot be the sole means of containing the spread of the virus: hand and respiratory hygiene, social distancing, face-coverings and good ventilation are also important factors in lessening the spread of the disease. While these are not mandatory, they are still important public health mitigations and can help to minimise risk when planning public worship and other church activities.

Updated: Monday 4th October, 13.40

New FAQs added:

• Are there specific restrictions for Remembrance Sunday services?
• Will churches use vaccine certification / vaccines passports?
• How do I get a flu vaccine?

14 September, 14.00

Publication of Government's Autumn and Winter plan:

We welcome the publication of the Government's Autumn and Winter plan, recognising the very positive effects of the vaccination campaign and also the ongoing risks posed by Covid-19. We note the Government's commitment that communal worship, weddings, funerals and other commemorative events would not become subject to vaccination certification, even under 'Plan B'. We will continue to monitor the situation as we move towards Christmas.