‘Difficult to reopen’ UAE mosques, churches during Covid-19, says official

  DUBAI – It appears mosques, churches and other places of worship in the UAE will not be opening soon as the country maintains precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus or Covid-19. “It’s quite difficult now to re-open mosques and other places of worship where safety guidelines cannot be ensured, including social distancing and the difficulty to avoid getting in contact with those more susceptible to the virus, including elderly people, children and people with chronic and respiratory disease,” said Abdulrahman Saeed Al Shamsi, the spokesman for the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments. On Friday, the UAE relaxed movement restrictions for the public from 6am until 10pm during Ramadan and also allowed malls and other establishments to reopen under certain conditions. However, hosques, churches and other places of worship, including prayer rooms, remained closed. "The nature of congregational prayers cannot be controlled to ensure the safety of all worshippers," Al Shamsi. He said that the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments is providing all support to ensure mosques will continue to be "an oasis of safety and tranquility for worshippers to perform their rituals." He expressed the authority’s hope that the coming period will bring efforts to accelerate screening in a way that can ensure mosques can reopen. WAM/Expat Media
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