After being closed for three and a half months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mosques and other places of worship in the UAE are set to reopen tomorrow on July 1.
During a briefing, senior official Dr Saif Al Dhaheri from the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management revealed there would be precautionary measures in place to ensure the safe reopening of places of worship.
Dr Al Dhaheri explained capacity for worship venues would be able to run at a maximum capacity of 30 per cent, with many mosques opening for daily prayers, but Friday prayers are still suspended.
Precautionary measures in place for worshippers includes social distancing of three metres; a ban on gatherings and no greetings like handshakes are allowed; face masks must be worn at all times; and all worshippers need to download the Al Hosn app.
Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, Official Spokesperson, #NCEMA: We invite all members of society to adhere to all precautionary and preventive measures when attending mosques and places of worship.
— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) June 29, 2020
Similarly, worshippers are urged to regularly santiise their hands and they must also bring their own prayer mats and Qu’rans, which they must take home.
“We urge the public to cooperate by following precautionary measures including social distancing,” Dr. Al Dhaheri said. “Children under 12 years old, the elderly as well as individuals with chronic diseases should avoid going to mosques.”
“Individuals in contact or living with someone who is receiving treatment for Covid-19 should not go to a mosque until the patient recovers, to protect others,” he added. “Any infections detected may result in the closure of places of worship again.”
While some mosques are open across the UAE, prayer rooms in malls remain closed as well as mosques in industrial areas.
