HOUSTON — Churches across the state are starting to hold services again. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston had what it called a phased reopening this weekend.
They're holding services with some new guidelines while trying to keep their parishioners safe.
"We heard on Wednesday from the Archdiocese that we could have public mass. But we had to hold a pandemic response team," said Father Victor Perez, pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Father Perez immediately put together a team of volunteers to help enforce the guidelines set by the governor and Cardinal.
"I wasn’t sure if we could do it until I saw how many volunteers were willing and had a meeting talking everything through," Perez said.
The team oversees the following:
They sanitize the pews and door handles before and after each mass.
They also make sure everyone inside the church is wearing a mask, and everyone who enters the church must use hand sanitizer.
They enforce strict social distancing rules. Every other pew needs to stay empty, and capacity must remain at 25 percent.
"I put it on our website: we can’t guarantee you’ll have a seat, but you are welcome," Perez said.
But during the service, communion is also done differently. The priest goes to every parishioner instead of having people form a line down the center of the church.
And even though attendance was low, there were only about 20 people in the Sunday morning mass. The priest was excited to see his parishioners, even if it was from afar.
"It feels good to see the people and feed them the holy communion and to bring them God's word. I can tell they are happy to be there," Perez said.
The church is still streaming services online for those that cannot attend.
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
- Follow social distancing
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
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