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Choral performances, including carol singing, are not allowed in churches during the festive season as they increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission, according to the latest guide from the Center for Health Protection Surveillance.
Brass or brass musical instruments, which require musicians to blow, are not allowed, but pipe organs may be played.
Collection boxes should not be passed between members of the congregation and physical interaction, such as shaking hands during the peace sign, should be avoided.
HPSC’s updated guide to public worship, including churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples, also states that religious leaders must cover their faces during indoor services, except when giving a sermon.
Face covering “at all times” is recommended for congregation. Visors should not be worn, unless a person has a “specific problem” with wearing a mask or covering.
Members of the same household can sit closer, but otherwise, a social distance of two meters must be observed.
Services should not exceed one hour with at least one hour between services to allow for cleaning and ventilation and to avoid overcrowding / overlap.
Members of the congregation are asked to ensure that they do not immediately gather outside the door before or after the service.
Common items such as Bibles, brochures, prayer mats, and religious books should be avoided. People are advised to bring their own religious materials.
A section on Communion advises that those who distribute and receive the sacrament should use hand sanitizer and that Communion hosts should be placed on the hands, not on the tongue.
Social distancing must be maintained when approaching and returning from receiving Communion. Whenever possible, a one-way system should be used.
The use of confined spaces, such as confessionals, must be suspended and any alternative arrangement “must meet the requirements of social distancing.”
Holy water fountains are also not allowed.
At level 3, up to 50 people are allowed to attend public worship at any one time. When the size of the premises allows a capacity of more than 50 people, this may be allowed, provided that the premises are subdivided into separate sections that do not contain more than 50 people.
Each leg must have its own entry / exit route with at least four meters between them.
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The HPSC guidelines warn that “overproduction has been observed in religious settings, as well as in other places such as restaurants, clubs and gyms.”
The maximum number of people allowed to attend funerals and weddings remains 25. Hugs and lines to pay respect “should be avoided” at funerals, he says.
People should also “not shake hands in condolences” and the condolence book signing should be suspended due to the risk of spreading the infection.
The HPSC also cautions that casket transportation “raises a particular concern because it requires four to six people to stand close to each other. Under current government advice, casket transportation should be suspended during the current phase.”
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