The letter below has been drafted by Graceway Church Leadership and goes into effect immediately. Thank you for your continue support!
To: Our Graceway Church Family
Subject: COVID-19: Keeping Our Church Family Safe
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever Trusts in the Lord is Safe (Proverbs 29:25 ESV)
As global, national and local concerns about the current COVID-19 outbreak grows, we’re doing our best to keep everyone healthy and safe at Graceway Church while minimizing the disruptions to worship services and all ministries. Please be advised that Graceway Church Leadership was notified on Thursday, June 25th that a Graceway Church member has tested positive for COVID-19. As an immediate response to protect the health and safety of our Church Family, all individuals that were in direct contact with the member that tested positive for COVID-19, on Sunday, June 21, 2020 have been directly notified regarding the member’s positive COVID-19 test. Members that were in direct contact with the affected member are voluntarily being tested for COVID-19 for precautionary measures. It should also be noted that the person did not contract the virus at a Graceway event or facility. We are not disclosing the name of the affected member due to the HIPAA Laws that are in place, however, those that were in direct contact with the affected member are able to receive communication to protect their health and to prevent any future spreading of COVID-19. We’re closely monitoring the situation and know that misinformation and fear can spread more virulently than the virus itself. We want to discourage false information from circulating. If you’re looking for trusted, up-to-date information, we recommend visiting the specific coronavirus websites of the CDC, State of Texas, or Tarrant County, Arlington, which will all be posted on our Graceway Church website. We understand that knowledge of the current member that has tested positive for COVID-19 is concerning, and we want to take a moment to share the ways we can all help keep the Worship and other church events as safe as possible.
Stay home if we are sick
Stay home if we’ve had contact with a potentially infected person. The virus spreads easily from person to person. Please stay home for 14-days if you’ve had contact with a confirmed case or potentially infected person.
Refresh ourselves on proper cough and sneeze hygiene. Cover your nose or mouth with a tissue or your elbow — not your hand — and discard the tissue immediately after.
Rely on virtual communication when possible.
Increase the frequency of cleanings
The CDC recommends the following to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus:
- Wash your hands often
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- When you sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sneeze into your sleeve
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Aim for eight hours of sleep each night
- Eat a well-balanced diet
The Governor of Texas has ask that we as Church members limit our gatherings to 1/2 capacity. We have decided to cancel our Wednesday Night Service and limit our numbers to 10.
Links to COVID-19 Readiness Resources
- City of Arlington Coronavirus Updates: https://www.arlingtontx.gov/coronavirus
- Visit cdc.gov/COVID19 for the latest information and resources about COVID-19
- COVID 2019 Situation Summary https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html
- Prevention and Treatment https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
- What to Do If You Are Sick https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html
- Pregnant Women and COVID-19 FAQs https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/pregnancy-faq.html
- FAQs: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and Children https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html