An URGENT update from the General Secretary to Congregations and other Ministries 20th July 2021

The SA government has introduced a new system for identifying the level of COVID-19  restrictions which apply to the community. These go from level 1 (lowest level)  to Level 5 (highest level of restrictions).

The Premier has announced that from 6.00pm, Tuesday 20th July, South Australia will be under Level 5 restrictions. This means a state-wide, 7 day lockdown in South Australia. This means that from 6.00pm today – Tuesday 20th July 2021, there will only be 5 reasons to leave your home:

1. Care and compassion reasons such as caring for a loved one

2. Essential work

3. Medical reasons including vaccination and testing

4. Purchase of essential goods such as food

5. Exercise –  with people in the same household, within 2.5km from home, once a day for a maximum of 90 minutes.

The Premier has made it clear that this is a stay at home order. This is a greater level of restriction than we have experienced up until now, due to the current outbreak being the Delta strain of COVID-19.

This means that all activities at churches need to be cancelled for the next 7 days. There is NOT an option for a small group to gather at church to pre-record worship for Sunday. The Emergency Management Direction provides that, ‘faith leaders broadcasting services or ceremonies at places of worship’ are considered essential workers. This means that only the Minister or person in placement in the Ministry of Pastor is authorised to go to the church to broadcast worship.

We encourage you to be creative about how you worship together this Sunday. 

The only other reason that someone may attend the church site is in the event of an emergency (e.g. the alarm goes off; a weather event causes damage).

The Emergency Management Direction also considers to be essential workers those who are providing  ‘care services for people with particular needs because of homelessness, age, infirmity, disability, illness … or other essential support services.’ This means that churches who are designated UnitingCare SA Emergency Relief Centres may continue to operate. For further information contact UnitingCare SA. 

All Synod sites (Pirie Street office, Brooklyn Park campus and Uniting Venues) will be closed for the next 7 days, with staff working from home. Please continue to be in touch with staff as you need to and to monitor the SA Government website.

In this very challenging time, please look after yourselves and each other. Be attentive to the pastoral needs in your community and be gentle with yourself and your loved ones.

Grace and peace,