COVID-19 Information

Updated May 17, 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer tracking COVID-19 hospital admission levels by County.

“Effective May 1, 2024, hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 hospital admissions, hospital capacity, or hospital occupancy data to HHS through CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).”

Visit https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/index.html to look up “What’s Happening Near You” (by county) with respiratory illness, including (1) illness trends for Flu, RSV, and COVID-19; and (2) tips for “More ways to protect yourself and others”.

You can also visit the CDC’s website: “Respiratory Virus Activity Levels” (https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data-research/dashboard/activity-levels.html) for an update on how COVID-19, influenza, and RSV may be spreading nationally and in your state.

The “CovidActNow.org” page on Elkhart County is here: https://covidactnow.org/us/indiana-in/county/elkhart_county/?s=50083753

 

 

Current COVID-19 Precautions at Assembly Mennonite Church

  • We welcome everyone to gather in person, indoors, for weekly Sunday morning worship and Sunday school.
  • Worship services will be live-streamed via Zoom at this link: https://zoom.us/j/9995275153.
  • Masks are optional for worship and other group settings. People may choose to mask at any time.
    • While many in our faith family are thankful masks are no longer required, a fair number of us feel the need to be even more careful when at church, and some are deciding to return to joining worship by Zoom.
    • According to the CDC, people with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in public. People may choose to mask at any time.
    • Please stay home and join us on Zoom if you have symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test. We encourage those who are at high risk to consider joining us on Zoom. If you have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 but do not have symptoms, please wear a mask in accordance with CDC guidelines if you choose to come to worship.
    • We encourage everyone to stay up-to-date on vaccines & boosters and encourage anyone who is not feeling well to join us on Zoom.
      • Parents should contact Sunday school teachers directly if they are sending kids to Sunday school during days 6 through 10 after a positive COVID test. During this time children are asked to wear a mask during Sunday school and sit apart from the group during snack.
    • If Elkhart County’s Community Risk Level becomes “High” according to covidactnow.org, masks will again be required indoors for everyone over age 2.
  • Sunday school teachers and child care providers will be required to be vaccinated.
  • If you have any questions or feedback regarding our COVID-19 policies, please contact Sara Morris, the chair of Leadership Group.
  • We continue to ask everyone to follow current CDC guidelines for Elkhart County. This includes (as of April 26, 2024):
      • Stay up to date on vaccination, including recommended booster doses.
      • Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
      • Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
      • Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
      • If you are at high risk of getting very sick, talk with a healthcare provider about additional prevention actions.
    • The CDC continues to encourage access to COVID-19 testing for all people, including point-of-care and at-home tests, and continues to encourage isolation among people who test positive for COVID. So, please consider getting tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.

 

Policy for Reserving Space in the Meetinghouse

  • Small groups and other Assembly and Faith participants are welcome to reserve space in the meetinghouse. Check the Facility Use/Reservations Calendar here. Please contact the church office to reserve space.
  • We ask everyone to follow current CDC guidelines for Elkhart County when gathering in the meetinghouse. Event organizers/hosts may request that their guests take additional precautions.

More Information

  • Assembly is blessed with both a large congregation (so that we cannot practice physical distancing in our worship space) and a very age-diverse congregation (including both elderly members who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 even when vaccinated, and families with children who attend many different schools in the area). This presents us with challenges not all congregations have when considering how to safely gather for in-person worship.
  • We are also blessed with a congregation that has a very high vaccination rate

Updated Vaccine Guidance (September 2023)