The communal or private meetings that are religious in character, the religious ceremonies are held inside and/or outside places of worship by obeying all the measures to prevent infection with COVID-19. Inside places of worship, the number of persons should be limited so that an area of minimum 4 square meters per person and a minimum distance of two meters between attendees are ensured, the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission decided on March 26, IPN reports. 

According to the Commission’s decision, the flow of persons in churches will be managed so as to avoid crowdedness. When entering the building, each person will mandatorily have the body temperature taken and will be requested to use the hand sanitizer dispensers set up in visible and accessible places. Inside, the parishioners will be obliged to wear masks and are recommended not to kiss the icons. The objects and contact surfaces in churches should be disinfected once in three-four hours.

If the services are held in the open air, a distance of 1.5 meters between persons should be ensured. The Commission noted the religious activities performed in public places, outside places of worship are not considered mass assemblies.

The Commission urges the persons from risk groups, the older persons and those with chronic diseases to avoid crowded places and pray at home and to avoid taking part in pilgrimages. The non-observance of the public health measures stipulated in the decision can endanger public health and will serve as a reason for holding those to blame accountable.