COVID-19 Update from Bishop Mueller Page 5 The last several weeks have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases in many communities in Arkansas. During the last two days, the number of reported and active cases, hospitalizations and deaths have dramatically increased. This new and dangerous landscape is the result of the Delta variant present in our communities, vaccines possibly being less effective and the fact that the number of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has plateaued at an alarmingly low rate. I have worked closely with the Bishop’s COVID-19 Task Force to develop the latest guidance as your Boards of Trustees use the ARUMC dashboard, CDC guidelines and information about the vaccination rate in your congregation to make decisions about how best to keep those in your church safe. While none of us like having to remain vigilant after having such high hopes about the vaccine allowing life to return to normal, we must deal with reality the w a y i t i s a n d n o t t h e w a y w e w i s h i t w e r e . 1. Utilize the ARUMC COVID-19 dashboard. Check the county-focused dashboard that now contains vaccine data and may be found here: https://arumc.org/covid19/dashboard/ Be aware that the benchmarks do not account for the vaccine data, nor do they distinguish between non-vaccinated cases or vaccinated cases. Consider collecting self-reported vaccine data from individuals in your ministry setting without asking any questions other than “Have you been vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus?” This may help you better understand how many of the people attending events at your church are vaccinated. 2. Continue to follow the safety guidelines set forth by the CDC. Access the CDC links on the ARUMC website that are updated weekly and may be found here: https://arumc.org/covid19/ Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2021
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