Churches, Mosques can open for an hour per service - Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has announced that Churches and Mosques have the permission to reopen to their congregants for a maximum of one hour per service with a congregation not being more than 100 people.

During his 10th address to the nation on Sunday, the president indicated that these services must adhere to a mandatory one-metre rule of social distancing between congregants.

“An abridged format for religious services can commence. Twenty-five per cent attendance, with a maximum number of one 100 congregants, can worship at a time in church or at the mosque," the president said. "In addition to the mandatory wearing of masks for all persons at all times in churches and mosques, a register of names and contact details of all worshippers, and handwashing facilities and sanitisers must be provided."

President Akufo-Addo added that religious institutions that are desirous of opening their premises to their members, such as churches, mosques and others, must disinfect, fumigate and put in place the requisite logistics needed to guarantee safe opening and operation.

"They must work with the designated regulatory bodies and undertake test runs of the protocols I have outlined. I would appeal to them, in the case of Christians, on the first Sunday of re-opening, 7th June; in the case of the Adventists, Saturday, 6th June; and in the case of Muslims, on the first Friday, i.e. Salat Al-Jumu'ah, 5th June, to dedicate their worship to prayers for the nation in these challenging times," he noted.

The Minister for Religious Affairs, the president said, will on Monday, 1st June, outline, in detail, the specific guidelines for the safe reopening of our churches and mosques.