Beloved friends,

One of the tabs that’s open in my browser whenever I’m working is the CovidActNow.org site.  If you’ve not yet looked at it, the site provides information about the spread of COVID including the 7-day-average of the number of cases recorded, the status of hospitals (including how full the hospitals are overall and the availability of ICU beds), and the daily death rate. The folks who run it use the data to gauge what the danger is for contracting COVID.

As of this morning (December 28) Pierce County has averaged 764 new cases per day over the last seven days which works out to over 84 cases per 100,000 residents.  The high numbers earn Pierce County a risk rating of Severe. The Omicron variant has clearly arrived in our area.

Until the numbers decline, we’ll be worshiping online, and according to the policies adopted by the Board regarding in-person meetings, small groups won’t be meeting on the church premises. I’m as disappointed as all of you, but our concern is to keep our members safe from this disease that potentially can have an ongoing impact even if the case is mild. It is our care for the health and safety of all of us that we are enacting these policies.

I’ll be updating you as the metrics shift. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe by masking, keeping distance as best you can, and not taking risks.

I look forward to seeing you online.

Holding you all in the light,

Linda