COVID-19 | Interreligious Response and Resources
VACCINATION PROGRAMS IN CHICAGO AND THE METROPOLITAN AREA
Updated May 19, 2021| All Illinoisans age 12 and up are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The State of Illinois is working with local health departments and providers across the state to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. A list of statewide vaccination sites is available here. A tool for tracking down COVID-19 vaccine appointment openings at Illinois pharmacies is available here.
Below is vaccine information for the City of Chicago and the Metropolitan area--Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties.
Below is vaccine information for the City of Chicago and the Metropolitan area--Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties.
PHASE IV PROTOCOLS FOR PLACES OF WORSHIP IN CHICAGO
Updated May 5, 2021| The City of Chicago has eased Phase IV COVID-19 capacity restrictions for places of worship. Specific limitation guidance for Houses of Worship are now as follows:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from the City of Chicago's Office of Community Engagement:
- Small venues with capacity < 200: 50% capacity indoors with no more than 50 people
- Large venues with capacity ≥ 200: 25% capacity indoors
- Outdoor venues: No capacity limit, with six feet of social distancing between parties.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from the City of Chicago's Office of Community Engagement:
- Do fully vaccinated individuals count in the overall limits? YES. The only scenario where fully vaccinated guests do not count towards the capacity limit are at private events such as weddings. Events must be at a licensed facility, they cannot be open to the public, and guests must be required to RSVP prior to the event. For weddings at churches, for example, faith leaders will be responsible for verifying that exempted guests are fully vaccinated and keep records. The City is considering ways to extend this exemption and hopes to have additional guidance as we hopefully enter the "bridge phase" in the next two weeks.
- Do clergy and choirs have to wear masks, even if there is plexiglass? YES. The mask requirement is a strict, non-negotiable in indoor space for now.
- Do choir members need to wear masks? YES. No vaccine is 100% effective. Singing remains one of the most dangerous activities in terms of COVID-19 spread. Recall that one of the first major outbreaks was within a choir in Washington State. Recently in Australia, a singer from a balcony was responsible for infecting congregants far more than 6 feet away.
- Do increases in capacity limits apply to additional areas? YES. However, you cannot expand capacity to 25% in an area where 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained.
REPORT | RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS RESPOND DURING COVID-19
October 29, 2020 | Despite differences in size, budget, location, and tradition, Chicago area religious congregations are grappling with many of the same challenges as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s one of the key findings from the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago’s newly released report, Religious Congregations Respond during COVID-19. The report is based on responses from more than 120 congregations in Northern Illinois, representing 24 different faith traditions, to a survey conducted in July and August.
Among the report’s key findings:
Among the report’s key findings:
- In-person routines have given way to myriad other ways to enact the rituals of fellowship and worship, mourning, and celebration.
- Some congregations are finding new benefits to regular telephone calls, more frequent contact, and more attention to those most in need of companionship and safety.
- Congregations have revamped arrangements for providing material support, and food in particular, for service activities.
- Financial supports have become more uncertain. While some income loss is partially offset with fewer in-person activities and associated costs, 40% of respondents express concern (from slight to extreme) that they will not be in operation at all within 12 months.
DIVERSE TRADITIONS UNITED TO SERVE IN TIME OF CRISIS
The Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago joins with religious leaders across the nation and around the world in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our faith communities support and practice the recommendations of local, state, and national health officials as all of us work to slow the spread of the disease. We are guided by our most fundamental teachings: the preservation of life, and the commitment to love and compassion for our neighbors.
We pray for the welfare of those who serve our communities in health care, public safety, emergency response, and public office. We also remind everyone that COVID-19 strikes regardless of religious viewpoint, race, or social class. It does not distinguish between immigrant and native-born. It falls hardest on those most in need.
We ask everyone to do their part by respecting spatial distance and taking care of each other wherever we shelter. The information below includes resources and opportunities to help us turn the tide. We pray that you remain healthy and safe.
We pray for the welfare of those who serve our communities in health care, public safety, emergency response, and public office. We also remind everyone that COVID-19 strikes regardless of religious viewpoint, race, or social class. It does not distinguish between immigrant and native-born. It falls hardest on those most in need.
We ask everyone to do their part by respecting spatial distance and taking care of each other wherever we shelter. The information below includes resources and opportunities to help us turn the tide. We pray that you remain healthy and safe.
REOPENING ILLINOIS FAITH INSTITUTIONS
The Council has prepared this Framework for Reopening Illinois Places of Worship which reflects the experience and wisdom of our interfaith community. It offers general guidelines for that process in two parts: (1) Preparation, which outlines basic issues each congregation must consider before reopening a facility for members and the general community; and (2) Reopening, which offers a checklist of practices that congregations should follow upon reopening to protect the health of their members and the general public.
NOTE: Many member institutions of the Council have already prepared specific guidelines/plans for reopening their places of worship. Congregations are urged to consult with leaders in their own traditions and denominations for specific instructions.
NOTE: Many member institutions of the Council have already prepared specific guidelines/plans for reopening their places of worship. Congregations are urged to consult with leaders in their own traditions and denominations for specific instructions.
RESOURCES FOR FAITH LEADERS & THE GENERAL PUBLIC
The Council has collated a collection of resources for faith leaders, communities of faith, and the general public to help in responding to the ravages of COVID-19. This collection will be updated during the pandemic.
WORDS OF HOPE & COMFORT
There is wisdom in our sacred teachings and in the power that they offer to all persons in moments of crisis. In that spirit, members of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago share these words of hope and comfort drawn from our faith traditions.
