STRICT restrictions will govern places of worship as they reopen under level 3 lockdown.
These include crowd restrictions, social distancing and sanitisation.
In a statement made on 26 May, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the restrictions are necessary to prevent Covid-19 infections from rising.
“Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other recognised places of worship may resume services, but these will be limited in size to 50 people or less depending on the space available. Social distancing will have to be observed and all worshippers and participants will have to wear face masks in line with the current regulations. All religious organisations must put protocols in place for, among other things, thoroughly cleaning and sanitising places for worship before and after services,” he said.
Religious rituals that could expose worshippers to risk should be avoided, said Ramaphosa.
Also read: Church leaders applaud Ramaphosa, pledge R1 million toward Covid-19 relief
“Where they form an essential part of religious practice, sanitisation is paramount,” he added.
Religious leaders will be recognised as essential workers, with a responsibility to raise Covid-19 awareness.
“Our religious leaders occupy positions of immense trust and authority in our communities, and need to play a proactive role in raising the level of public awareness around the coronavirus in their services, in faith communication groups, and through their pastoral work and activities,” said Ramaphosa.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
