Milliken Gospel Church COVID-19 Safety Plan

Scope:

Milliken Gospel Church qualifies as a workplace and as a 'place of worship'. All precautions covered in this document will apply to all employed staff, congregants, visitors, and contractors as appropriate.

As of March 1, 2022, the following plan is compliant with the latest legal regulations set forth by the Province of Ontario (O. Reg. 263/20: RULES FOR AREAS AT STEP 3 AND AT THE ROADMAP EXIT STEP), Ontario's COVID-19 workplace safety guide, and the York Region Public Health COVID-19 Guidance

1. How we will ensure all staff know how and are able to keep themselves safe from COVID-19 exposure?

All MGC staff shall frequently review the following guidelines and resources to self-educate and reduce risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission:

• Ensure they know how to follow the work and hygiene practices, and all safety measures outlined in the MGC reopening guidance site;

• Post notices in common areas (e.g. COVID-19 prevention tips, this MGC Reopening Guideline);

• Keep up to date and comply with the latest Ontario public health guidance for COVID-19;

• Keep up to date and comply with the York Region Public Health guidance for COVID-19;

• Frequently review and self-educate using the following resources:

  • York Region Public Health: COVID-19 & RE-OPENING YORK REGION: PUBLIC HEALTH RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESSES;

  • Workplace Safety & Prevention Services: Guidance on Health and Safety for Places of Worship During COVID-19 ;

  • Ontario's Ministry of Health COVID-19 Advice: Religious Services, Rites or Ceremonies;

• Follow the framework and safety steps outlined in Steps 2 - 6 below

2. How will you screen for COVID-19?

Before entering the building:

• All staff, contractors, congregant members, and volunteers are required to complete three mandatory actions:

  1. Complete the self-assessment screening questionnaire (accessible by scanning the QR code posted at all entrances, or via https://www.mgc.ca)

  2. Provide contact information (name, email / phone number, time of entry) for contact tracing purposes

  3. Record the body temperature of the person, taken via touch-less thermometer

• During non-office hours, a sign-in sheet will be provided at the screening station to record time in/out and touch-less thermometer will be available at screening station for self check. All information will be recorded in the sign in sheet.

• Supplies required for screening will be available at screening areas (pencil, paper, touch-less thermometer)

• Supplies required for sanitization and/or PPE will be be available at screening areas (hand sanitizer, face mask, cleaning and disinfecting wipes.)

• 15 min. Rapid COVID test kit will be available if needed at the Screening Station

• Cloth masks will not be allowed in church premises. Surgical Masks, ASTM Level 3 mask will be available at screening area.

Any personnel that does not pass the self-assessment:

• Will not be permitted to enter the Milliken Gospel Church building;

• Strongly recommended to go home to self-isolate immediately;

• Should immediately contact their health care provider or Telehealth Ontario (1-866-797-0000) to find out if they need a COVID-19 test and for further instructions

3. How will you control the risk of transmission in MGC?

After successful screening and admitted entrance to the MGC premises:

All staff and congregants should make every effort to control transmission risk by adhering to the following practices:

Physical Distancing

• Maximize the distance between persons, while maintaining a minimum of 2 meters (6 feet)

• Limit the number of workers working in one space so that they can distance themselves from each other

• Communicate to staff to adhere to physical distancing guidelines whenever possible

• Maintain a clear point of entry to the place of worship and a separate point of exit

• Provide physical distancing markers and signage (e.g. such as tape on floors or walkways and signs on walls, to ensure that staff and congregants remain physically distanced apart while moving in spaces such as hallways)

Hygiene and PPE:

• Ensure all hand-washing facilities are available and in good working order.

• Communicate to all staff that proper hand washing is key.

• Workers shall be trained in the proper hand washing technique and avoid touching their face. Adequate hand washing should be performed frequently.

• Encourage all personnel to wash their hands before entering the workplace, after contact with others, or with surfaces others have touched.

• All hand sanitizers and soap dispensers are checked regularly to ensure they are filled

  • Hand sanitizer with minimum alcohol content of 60% should be where hand washing with soap is not possible

• Cover nose and mouth by face mask at all times (excluding emergencies) while inside the church (Ontario guide to face masks)

Disinfection and Sanitizing:

• Encourage all staff and congregants to maintain clean work stations, counters, and equipment

• Provide hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for staff to use. These shall be, where possible, made available near entry ways, reception, screening areas, and other high-traffic areas

• Provide a safe place for individuals to dispose of used sanitizing wipes and disposable protective equipment. Empty and clean waste containers on a regular basis

• Pay particular attention to frequently touched surfaces and common areas, such as entrances, counters, and washrooms

• Clean, disinfect, and sterilize objects that receive physical contact. Common examples include door knobs, seating areas, light switches, railings and other frequently touched equipment.

• Review and understand the following resource from Public Health Ontario: Cleaning and Disinfection for Public Settings

Other Measures:

• Ensure that the maximum number of persons indoors does not exceed the allowed maximum, as per York Region Public Health's latest guidance

• Signage that clearly indicates the maximum allowed capacity shall be posted outside of each room

• Every effort shall be made to ensure proper ventilation in closed rooms

  • Airflow can be optimized by opening windows, opening doors, and turning on HVAC ventilation system.

  • Review the Government of Canada's Guide on Indoor Ventilation

• Outside of office staff, a no food/drink policy (while inside the building) shall be in effect

• The kitchen/pantry remain closed for use

4. What will you do if there is a potential case, or suspected exposure to, COVID-19 at MGC?

Workers will be made aware of how to identify their own signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and be instructed to speak to the in-person program coordinator, immediately if they feel ill during the program. Visit the York Region COVID-19 resource page for detailed description of symptoms.

If one of the staff, visitors or clients has symptoms that may be related to COVID-19, or is diagnosed with COVID-19, the following steps shall be taken:

Step 1: Exclude the symptomatic person from the workplace

• If a worker calls in sick, informs of symptoms or informs they had close contact with someone with symptoms, have them take the self-assessment at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/. Ask the worker to follow any recommendations given by the tool, including being tested and self-isolating.

• If anyone shows symptoms in the workplace, they should return home and self-isolate immediately. If they cannot leave immediately, they should be isolated until they are able to leave.

• Isolation Room - Room 8 has been designated as the safe isolation area. It is located next to the east hallway fire exit. The isolation room will be supplied with PPE, first aid supplied, a checklist with the procedures of what to do if someone get sick within Milliken Gospel Church premises and key contact number.

• If the person is very ill, call 911 and let the operator know that they may have COVID-19

• Ask the person to contact their doctor or Telehealth Ontario at Toll-free: 1-866-797-0000 for further directions about testing and self-isolation

Step 2: Contact Public Health

• Contact the York Region Public Health for guidance on what to do if someone develops symptoms at your workplace or you are told one of your workers has COVID-19. York Region Public Health will provide further instructions.

  • Phone Number: 1-800-361-5653

  • After Hours Number: 1-888-335-0111

  • Medical Officer of Health: Dr. Karim Kurji

  • Mailing Address: 17250 Yonge Street Box 147, Newmarket, ON, L3Y 6Z1

• If anyone shows symptoms in the workplace, they should return home and self-isolate immediately. If they cannot leave immediately, they should be isolated in Room 8 until they are able to leave.

Step 3: Follow public health direction

• Follow public health direction

• Disinfect surfaces that may have been touched by the ill person as soon as possible

• A worker who had close contact with someone known to have COVID-19 should self-isolate for 10 days. If they do not develop symptoms, they may usually return to work and other activities 14 days after their last contact with the case

• A worker with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate for at least 10 days from when the symptoms started

• Some symptomatic workers may need to self-isolate for longer based on the advice of public health or their health care provider.

• These timelines for self-isolation include time spent waiting for COVID-19 test results.

Step 4: Inform any personnel who may have been exposed

• Notify all staff if there may have been an exposure in the workplace. All workers should be informed about the date and time of the potential exposure and where it took place. Don’t give out any information that might identify the infectious person.

• Contact tracing activities are not required unless asked to do so by your local public health unit

5. How will you manage any new risks caused by changes to the way MGC is operating? // 6. How will you make sure your plan is working?

Self-Education, review of expert resources, and stay up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 health guidelines:

Frequently review and self-educate using the following resources:

• York Region PH: COVID-19 & RE-OPENING YORK REGION: PUBLIC HEALTH RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESSES ;

• Workplace Safety & Prevention Services: Guidance on Health and Safety for Places of Worship During COVID-19 ;

• Ontario's Ministry of Health COVID-19 Advice: Religious Services, Rites or Ceremonies ;

• Ontario's Resources to Prevent COVID-19 in the Workplace ;

• Latest news, case data, and updates from Ontario's COVID-19 portal

Establish frequent Monitoring and Feedback processes:

The Milliken Gospel Church Reopening Committee will meet frequently to:

• Discuss and reassess the observed effectiveness of measures put in place

• Gather regular feedback from staff about the effectiveness of this Safety Plan put in place.

• Assess support given to workers about how they are coping with the current guidance

• Gather feedback, input and ideas from congregant members will be gathered through communications such as word-of-mouth, emails, WhatsApp, message with MGC General Business / GM groups.

• Upon receiving and reviewing the feedback, the committee will review existing critical risks and determine whether changes to the current workplace practices are needed

• Check for any new risks introduced and consider whether new risk controls are required

Date completed: August 1, 2021

Latest Revision date: Mar 9, 2022

Organization Detail:

Milliken Gospel Church (MGC)

8 Elson Street, Markham, L3S 2C4

Tel: (905) 472-3100

Email: info@mgc.ca

Developed by: Milliken Gospel Church Reopening Committee

Others consulted: