Can my church open during Covid-19 in California?
California is no exception to the rule when it comes to dealing with Covid-19. As an insurance agent who specializes in church insurance my phone has not stopped ringing for the past 7 months with different questions related to Covid-19.
Initially the churches would ask can we stay open, then they asked what happens if we intentionally defy the order, and now Pastor’s are asking what steps do we need to take to be able to re-open.
My answer to these questions are very simple. It is important that you
- Comply with the order of your State.
- Make sure you check with your local county guidelines.
- Make sure your City doesn’t have any additional guidelines that you will need to comply with.
For instance the state of California has created a designated website specifically dealing with Covid-19. This website is: www.covid19.ca.gov. This would be your first stop to obtain up to date information on your State guidelines.
Next let’s take Los Angeles County public health department. They have a list of items that they spell out for different organization to ensure they follow. In addition, they have a Safety Compliance Certification program for both business owners and employee. It is designed to help business and their employee comply with all of the current guidelines to help keep everyone healthy.
Lastly, because the city of Long Beach has it’s own Health and Human Services Department they have their own individual guidelines to follow.
As you can see this only complicates the matter depending on where you live and how many different guidelines that you may have to follow. Your Church may only need to review the State of California and follow them only or you could live in Long Beach and need to follow all 3 (State, County, & City).
No matter if you agree or disagree with all or a some of the guidelines being spelled out by your local Government, it is important that we take the needed steps to keep our church family healthy and do our part. If you have any questions please feel free to give us a call and we can discuss your individual questions further.
Integrity Now Insurance Brokers, Inc.
562-606-1030
