In-person religious services including wedding ceremonies and funeral services are permitted in Marshall County beginning May 8, 2020, including wedding ceremonies and funeral services, and will no longer be subject to limits on social gatherings. However, social distancing and other sanitation measures will continue to apply. Wedding receptions and visitations before or after funerals remain subject to the limitations and restrictions for social gatherings, which are detailed below:
• May 8 – May 23: limited to 25 people
• May 24 – June 13: limited to 100 people
• June 14 – July 3: limited to 250 people
• July 4 and on: no limit
If implementing in-person services, consider the following practices:
• Ask all individuals who are 65 and older or who have an underlying at-risk health condition to stay home and watch services online
• Ensure 6 feet between individuals or family units of the same households during services; Space and mark seating, alternating rows when possible
• Clean between each service and regularly disinfect high-contact surfaces
• Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations (e.g. bathroom, entry, exit) and ask staff, members and guests to sanitize their hands before entering the building
• Recommend putting on a face covering before entering the building; Consider placing signage telling staff, members and guests to not enter if they are symptomatic or if they tested positive for COVID-19
• Implement no-contact greetings
• Avoid handing out materials
• Keep cafes, coffee and other self-service stations closed
• Establish safe protocols for any communion and collection to avoid contact
• Dismiss services in a way that supports social distancing
• Place readily visible signage to remind everyone of best hygiene practices
Additional information and resources for COVID-19 are available at the links below.
• Back on Track Revised Guidance for Places of Worship: https://backontrack.in.gov/files/BackOnTrackIN_PlacesOfWorship.pdf
• Additional guidance for the faith community from the CDC can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/guidance-community- faithorganizations.html
• CDC COVID-19 webpage: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/
• ISDH COVID-19 webpage: https://coronavirus.in.gov
