Mosques are required to open five minutes before the call for prayer and close five minutes after the prayer, according to the guidelines for Phase 1 of the controlled lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
Also, a mosque's doors will close once the prayer starts or when its agreed capacity is reached.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has stressed these, and other key points, in the 'Mosques' section of the guidelines for Phase 1 of the gradual lifting of restrictions.
“Ensuring adherence to precautions for the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions is a shared responsibility,” the MoPH stressed on social media.
One of the requirements for the mosques that have opened in Phase 1 was the establishment of an admin group to manage and oversee compliance with the precautionary measures.
This was in addition to disinfection work and the need for employees to ascertain their health status prior to the opening of mosques.
Following are the detailed guidelines for mosques:
* Infection prevention and control
1. Ensure hand sanitising before entering the mosque.
2. The toilets and ablution places are closed.?
3. The body temperature of all workers should be checked (entry prohibited for those with temperature above 38C).
4. Ehteraz app to be downloaded by all employees and worshippers, and entry will be allowed to only those with the 'Green' status.
5. Masks to be worn by all - worshippers as well as thee mosques’ employees and workers.
6. Worshippers and the mosques’ employees and workers are encouraged to use a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it directly into a waste bin. Otherwise, the elbow can be used to prevent the spread of germs.
7. Avoid physical contact such as handshakes, etc.
8. Provide sanitisers at the entrance and multiple locations within the mosque.
9. Advise worshippers, employees and workers to avoid touching their nose, eyes and mouth.
10. Surfaces, carpets, corridors and areas where shoes are kept should be cleaned and disinfected regularly and after each prayer.
11. A housekeeping record log must be maintained.
12. Worshippers are encouraged to bring their own Qur’an or use their phone application to read it.
13. At least half of the windows and doors should be kept open during prayer time to ensure proper ventilation inside the mosque. They can be closed after the prayer ends and worshippers leave the mosque.
14. Packs of tissue papers should be available and accessed when needed.
15. Waste bins should be distributed throughout the mosque.
16. Worshippers will not be allowed to enter the mosque without wearing a mask and bringing their prayer mat.
* Physical distancing
1. ?Maintaining a minimum safe distance of 1.5m between worshippers should be encouraged by the Imam.
2. Floor markings should be used on the mosque’s carpets to guide the worshippers’ position and maintain physical distancing.
3. Provide enough space on the sides of the mosque to allow for worshippers’ exit from the first rows without the need to go through the others.?
* Regulating entry and exit
??1. Open an entrance five minutes before the call for prayer to regulate the entry of worshippers and ensure the proper implementation of precautionary measures.
2. Doors should be opened after the end of each prayer to facilitate the exit of worshippers. They will be closed five minutes after each prayer.
3. Worshippers are urged to avoid crowding while entering and exiting the mosques.?
* Mosque employees
???1. A response procedure in alignment with MoPH guidance should be in place to deal with suspected cases.
2. An isolation room should be assigned at the mosque and the residency of workers to separate suspected cases until a medical team from the MoPH is alerted.
3. All employees are encouraged not to go to work if they develop respiratory symptoms or fever and should report sick to their employer.?
* Vulnerable groups
1. Vulnerable groups are advised to pray at home.
2. Children aged 12 years and below are not allowed to enter the mosques.
* Education and awareness
???1. Regular awareness of precautionary measures.
2. Urge those with high fever, cough and those with respiratory infections not to go to the mosque.
3. Posters are distributed in a mosque to remind worshippers and mosque employees of the precautionary measures and the process of reporting discrepancies or violations.
4. Each mosque should have a sticker or poster at its entrance indicating the maximum occupancy.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has stressed these, and other key points, in the 'Mosques' section of the guidelines for Phase 1 of the gradual lifting of restrictions.
“Ensuring adherence to precautions for the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions is a shared responsibility,” the MoPH stressed on social media.
One of the requirements for the mosques that have opened in Phase 1 was the establishment of an admin group to manage and oversee compliance with the precautionary measures.
This was in addition to disinfection work and the need for employees to ascertain their health status prior to the opening of mosques.
Following are the detailed guidelines for mosques:
* Infection prevention and control
1. Ensure hand sanitising before entering the mosque.
2. The toilets and ablution places are closed.?
3. The body temperature of all workers should be checked (entry prohibited for those with temperature above 38C).
4. Ehteraz app to be downloaded by all employees and worshippers, and entry will be allowed to only those with the 'Green' status.
5. Masks to be worn by all - worshippers as well as thee mosques’ employees and workers.
6. Worshippers and the mosques’ employees and workers are encouraged to use a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it directly into a waste bin. Otherwise, the elbow can be used to prevent the spread of germs.
7. Avoid physical contact such as handshakes, etc.
8. Provide sanitisers at the entrance and multiple locations within the mosque.
9. Advise worshippers, employees and workers to avoid touching their nose, eyes and mouth.
10. Surfaces, carpets, corridors and areas where shoes are kept should be cleaned and disinfected regularly and after each prayer.
11. A housekeeping record log must be maintained.
12. Worshippers are encouraged to bring their own Qur’an or use their phone application to read it.
13. At least half of the windows and doors should be kept open during prayer time to ensure proper ventilation inside the mosque. They can be closed after the prayer ends and worshippers leave the mosque.
14. Packs of tissue papers should be available and accessed when needed.
15. Waste bins should be distributed throughout the mosque.
16. Worshippers will not be allowed to enter the mosque without wearing a mask and bringing their prayer mat.
* Physical distancing
1. ?Maintaining a minimum safe distance of 1.5m between worshippers should be encouraged by the Imam.
2. Floor markings should be used on the mosque’s carpets to guide the worshippers’ position and maintain physical distancing.
3. Provide enough space on the sides of the mosque to allow for worshippers’ exit from the first rows without the need to go through the others.?
* Regulating entry and exit
??1. Open an entrance five minutes before the call for prayer to regulate the entry of worshippers and ensure the proper implementation of precautionary measures.
2. Doors should be opened after the end of each prayer to facilitate the exit of worshippers. They will be closed five minutes after each prayer.
3. Worshippers are urged to avoid crowding while entering and exiting the mosques.?
* Mosque employees
???1. A response procedure in alignment with MoPH guidance should be in place to deal with suspected cases.
2. An isolation room should be assigned at the mosque and the residency of workers to separate suspected cases until a medical team from the MoPH is alerted.
3. All employees are encouraged not to go to work if they develop respiratory symptoms or fever and should report sick to their employer.?
* Vulnerable groups
1. Vulnerable groups are advised to pray at home.
2. Children aged 12 years and below are not allowed to enter the mosques.
* Education and awareness
???1. Regular awareness of precautionary measures.
2. Urge those with high fever, cough and those with respiratory infections not to go to the mosque.
3. Posters are distributed in a mosque to remind worshippers and mosque employees of the precautionary measures and the process of reporting discrepancies or violations.
4. Each mosque should have a sticker or poster at its entrance indicating the maximum occupancy.
