Covid-19 Updates

When can I register for a service?

Registration for the following Sunday’s service will open at 10 a.m. on Monday morning and remain open until we are at capacity or until Wednesday at 4 p.m. You can register online from our home page. You can also call into the office during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) on registration days to book your spot. We will not take any reservations for Sunday’s service prior to Monday morning at 10 a.m.

Please note that we have limited seating available given the occupancy and physical distance requirements that are mandated by York Region Public Health and the Government of Ontario.

Do I need to register everyone who is coming with me?

Yes, we need everyone to register and everyone’s contact details (email and phone). Your email allows us to send a confirmation email with further details.

If I register everyone in my family but we don’t all arrive together, can some of us can go in and save seats?

We are asking families and social cohorts to all sit together to help us maximize the number of seats we can make available. So, we are also asking that everyone in your family to all check-in together so we can seat you together.

What does it mean that I have to register to attend the service?

This is a requirement for contact tracing as well as ensuring we have seating for everyone who registers. Please note that we disclose any of our attendance records to York Region Public Health only if there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 and that disclosure is limited to the persons who attended the same events or were in the building together. After 30 days, we can destroy these attendance records.

Should someone test positive for COVID-19, every place he or she has been will need to be notified so others can watch for symptoms and act accordingly.

Can I attend if I didn’t pre-register?

All attendees need to pre-register to have a seat for the service. If you haven’t pre-registered, we do not have a seat for you.

What am I looking for when I do my self-assessment?

The Self-Assessment Screening needs to be done any time someone comes into the church for any reason. When you are sent information about your event or ministry gathering, these details will also be included for you to review. Please be aware if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever (temperature of 37.8°C or greater)
• New or worsening cough
• Shortness of Breath
• Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
• New smell or taste disorder(s)
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or abdominal pain
• Runny nose or nasal congestion (unrelated to seasonal allergies, postnasal drip, etc.)

Also, if any of the following apply, please stay home:

• If you have been asked to self-isolate because you may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
• You have tested positive for COVID-19
• You have travelled out of the country in the past 14 days
• You are in a high-risk category (weakened immune system, respiratory issues, or other)

Why must I wear a mask?

York Region has mandated that masks must be worn in all public enclosed spaces, including places of worship. This came into effect as of July 17, 2020. Children under the age of 5, those with medical issues that would prevent them from wearing a mask safely, and those who cannot put on or take off a mask by themselves are exempt.

Why do we have to wear masks if we can maintain the 2m physical distancing that is required?

York Region’s mask bylaw mandates that masks and physical distancing must both be in place. Adhering to this mandate is a requirement for Cedarview to reopen in any capacity.

What do you mean by check-in?

When you arrive at the church, only the front doors under the portico (facing Gorham Street), and the back doors by the Café will be open. These doors will be manned by volunteers and staff who will walk you through the check-in process.

As you approach our check-in area, please ensure everyone has their masks on.

To begin, we will ask if you have pre-registered for the service and if everyone in your family is here.

If everyone is here and you are all registered, we will then ask if everyone completed the self-assessment that morning.

If everyone in your group passes the self-assessment, you will proceed to check-in. The check-in host will check you into our system.

Once you are checked in, you will be asked to use the hand sanitizer and follow the arrows and path laid out with stanchions to the sanctuary doors. An usher will greet you and take you to your seats. The seats will be assigned and we ask you not to move around or ask to sit someplace else.

What do you mean by assigned seating?

We are filling the sanctuary seating by available rows starting at the front and working our way to the back of the sanctuary. We need to leave a designated number of seats between groups, as well as rows between groups to maintain the required physical distancing.

I have one symptom only on the list but I pre-registered. Can I still attend the service?

Public Health indicates that even having one of the symptoms listed in the self-assessment warrants staying at home. So, please join us online and we hope you feel better.

Will the bathrooms be accessible?

We encourage everyone to use the facilities before they arrive but we also understand that sometimes the bathrooms are still needed while at the church. The bathrooms have reduced occupancy as well so a volunteer or staff member will be helping to direct traffic. If the bathroom is full, you will be asked to join a physically-distanced line and wait until someone comes out.

If I don’t feel comfortable coming to an in-person service, will I still be able to watch the service online at home?

We understand that not everyone feels comfortable returning yet, or that you may need to stay home because of an underlying medical condition or be a part of a high-risk category. Our services will be live-streamed so that whether you are at home or in person, we participate in the same service and teaching.

Will you have BLAST children’s ministries or any child care?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer any children’s ministries or child care at this time. According to the York Region Public Health directives, “children should remain with their parents. Separate children’s activities should be suspended.”

This is so exciting that Sunday morning services will be held. Does this mean that Christian Education, Sunday evening services and Wednesday night’s Core Groups will be starting now too?

We are starting off with our Sunday morning service for now. We will certainly let you know our plans for restarting other services as soon as they are available.

Will we be able to chat with people in the foyer and café before and after the service?

One of the stipulations from the government for places of worship is we “suspend all social gatherings, including those that occur before or after the service.” This means you will be escorted to your seat and then your row will be dismissed after the service and everyone will be exiting the building upon the close of the service. We cannot gather anywhere in the building to chat or fellowship at this time.

Will we be having communion?

Another stipulation from Public Health is that we cannot pass the communion element or the offering plates during a service. So, for the time being, we will not have communion as a part of our service.

Are you installing filters in the HVAC systems to help prevent the virus from moving?

We have a number of different HVAC systems in the church building and putting filters in all of them is cost-prohibitive at this time. That being said, the number of systems actually makes it safer in some regards. Someone’s breathing in the Main Sanctuary will not transfer and end up in the Gym for example.

We can increase the amount of outside air coming in up to 60 per cent and we have an air exchanger in place to help keep the air moving in the Main Sanctuary.

What is being done to make sure the church is sanitized?

We reviewed our cleaning protocols with the arrival of COVID-19. We already had a very rigorous cleaning schedule and protocols in place, but we have implemented all of the various elements like frequent cleaning and sanitization of high touch points and removal of items that cannot be sanitized.

What do I do if I start to feel sick during an event or gathering?

If you are feeling unwell before the event or gathering, it is better to be cautious so please stay home. If you feel ill or unwell during an event or gathering, please notify a staff member or ministry leader. If you are able to leave on your own, we will help you to your car. If you need someone to come and get you, we will take you to an isolated area to help reduce the chance the virus spreads if that is what is making you ill. Please then contact York Region Public Health once you get home. If you test positive for COVID-19, please let your ministry leader or staff member know so we can take the necessary steps.