Last updated Monday 24th January 2022.

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Gateway Baptist Church & Community Centre is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our congregation and wider community.

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Each of us has a responsibility as potential carriers of the virus to all those around us, especially those who are vulnerable. Consideration of everyone around us shows practical love to our broader community.

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For the latest information regarding Vaccinations, please click here.

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Sunday Services

All services and mid week meetings will recommence this week with the following restrictions

• It will be mandatory to wear a mask for:

  • church services,

  • youth group,

  • cafes and op shops,

  • any other activity or service at the church where a member of the public can attend.

• Singing by congregants/worshipper is permitted while wearing a mask. 

• Requirement of the 3 persons per  4sq. metre rule, the Activities – General Direction states:

• ​People employed or engaged to work, or undertaking official duties, for the purposes of the activity are not to be counted.

  • Infants and children of any age are to be counted.

• For Gateway, we are blessed to have big spaces, so we can have 380 people in the auditorium, and also with the auditorium doors open, another 343 people can be seated in the café area. The Parent Room can have 30 people and the Sunday club can have 400 people. So effectively, Gateway can have a normal sized congregation at church.

• Unless you are unwell, we can't wait to see you!!

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Close Contacts

Gateway is following instruction and process from the State Government.

In South Australia a ‘close contact' is defined as

    * a household member or intimate partner of a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period

• someone who has had close personal interaction with a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period:

  • for 15 minutes or more and

  • where masks are not worn by the person and the COVID-19 case and

  • in close physical proximity and

  • in an indoor setting

• someone who has been notified by SA Health that they are a close contact

• someone who has been to an exposure site listed on the SA Health website.

People with COVID-19 are considered infectious two days before their symptoms started or if they didn’t have any noticeable symptoms, they are considered infectious two days before they had their positive COVID-19 test taken. The infectious period ends 10 days after they had their positive test taken.

As cases increase, some close contacts may not receive an SMS from SA Health. If you know you are a close contact, please do not wait to be contacted – get tested and quarantine immediately.

What does a close contact need to do?

If someone you have been in close contact with tells you that they have tested positive to COVID-19, please follow the advice below.

Close contacts are required to:

• immediately quarantine for 7 days since they had contact with a COVID-19 positive person or were at the exposure location (when calculating the quarantine period the day of exposure is day 0)

• get an initial COVID-19 test

• get a COVID-19 test again on day 6 after exposure (a negative day 6 test is required to be released from quarantine)

• get a COVID-19 test again immediately if symptoms develop

• not attend high risk settings or COVID Management Plan events for 14 days after exposure

• wear a surgical mask when around others

• avoid contact with vulnerable people (young children, elderly, pregnant, people with chronic health conditions), avoid non-essential activities, avoid working across worksites and avoid shared spaces and maintain physical distancing on days 8 to 14 after exposure.

What kind of COVID-19 test should I have?

If you are a close contact, you can access a kit of two free rapid antigen tests to complete your required test. You must register before collecting your kits from the RAT Collection Point.

Rapid antigen tests are an alternative to standard PCR testing for close contacts.

If you develop COVID-19 symptoms while in quarantine, use a rapid antigen test if you have one. If you don’t have access to any more rapid antigen tests, get a PCR test. If you don’t have access to a rapid antigen test for your day 6 test, get a PCR test.

If you have recovered from previously testing positive to COVID-19, you will not be considered a close contact for 30 days after you are cleared.

After 30 days, you will still be considered a close contact and need to quarantine and get tested.

 

If you are seeking more clarity, please click here for SA Health link.

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QR Codes For Contact Tracing

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QR code check in is still required under SA Government legislation.

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God is still God 

 

It is in times of great uncertainty that people turn to faith. With all the fear and panic at the moment, people are asking where God is in this, which makes this a great opportunity for the church to step in and be relevant in this space. We urge you to be salt and light at this time; pray for one another, be a good neighbor, and reach out a helping hand to those who may need it. 

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 sets it out clearly:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.

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If you would like to know the guiding principles of Gateway concerning COVID-19, click here

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Gateway Baptist Church Leadership Team