A letter from the General Secretary to Congregations and other ministries

18 August 2020

COVID Safe Marshals

The South Australian government has declared that from this Friday, August 21st, 2020 that all churches will need to appoint a COVID Marshal.

The following is taken from SAPOL’s website.

A COVID Marshal must:

• Be 18 years of age or more
• Complete the required training and keep records of the training to provide to an authorised officer on request
• Take reasonable steps to visually identify as a COVID Marshal.

A COVID Marshal is required to:

• Promote and take practical steps to ensure infection control practices (e.g. frequent hand-washing) are followed by people involved in operations (patrons, employees and contractors)
   
• Promote and take practical steps to ensure people participating in operations are complying with density requirements and physical distancing principles
   
• Must ensure that all COVID Safe Plans and COVID Management Plans (where relevant) or specific policies/protocols in relation to the prevention of Coronavirus are effectively implemented and monitored
   
• Ensure the environment is appropriately established and there is sufficient seating, hand-washing facilities and cleaning regimes
   
• Be present supervising prescribed operations at all times (except with respect to 24-hour sites where staff are not always present, at all times of high patronage).

If more than 200 people are expected to be present at a prescribed operation a COVID Marshal who is supervising must have no other duties. Please note, you can have more than one prescribed COVID Marshal.

Where a place is used by different people, it is the responsibility of the owner or person with care/control/management of the place to ensure that it is supervised by a COVID Marshal.

What this means for churches is that for worship services and related food/hospitality service, there must be a COVID Marshal present and easily identifiable.

To assist with identification purposes, we have designed a COVID Safe Marshal badge template which your congregation can print out as required. Congregations may wish to use the badge or they may wish to create their own, or alternatively have no badge at all. Use of the badge is not compulsory it is designed to assist you if you would like to use it. If you would like to be sent the template, please email engagement@sa.uca.org.au

The designated COVID Marshal should have a copy of the church’s COVID Safe Plan and have an understanding of all activities that take place at the church.

For other activities of the church, the COVID Marshal does not necessarily need to be present, but needs to ensure that each group understands the requirements. You could ask for a COVID Contact for each group – both church run groups and hirers.

We encourage you to choose someone who has good communication and pastoral care skills, because  while the role is about compliance to COVID safe practices, we hope that as a church we can do that in an affirming and encouraging way.

COVID Marshal training will be available early this week via this website link. 

Frequently Asked Questions about COVID Marshals can be found by clicking on this link.

If you have any further questions, please contact your Presbytery or Associate General Secretary, Rev Sue Page: spage@sa.uca.org.au or 8236 4217.

Thank you once again for your faithfulness as disciples of Christ. May we all remember that it is through our connections with God, our church and the wider community that we can truly fulfil the ministries to which we are called.

Blessings to each one of you as you continue to complete your daily tasks, maintain contact with colleagues, family and friends and stay well.

Grace and peace,