Houses of worship to re-open with 100 worshippers at a time

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says effective from Friday, the 26th of June, they are allowing houses of worship to re-open their doors to 100 worshippers at a time.

He says starting tomorrow, over the next three to four days, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services will be meeting with religious leaders to talk about how the new normal will look in houses of worship, and how they can adapt to protect Fijians who come to them.

Bainimarama says science shows serious risks in houses of worship because of the close proximity, the intimacy of congregations, and practices such as indoor singing.

He says they will be working hand-in-hand with churches, mosques, and temples to explain and limit these unique challenges.

Bainimarama says now more than ever, houses of worship need to be not a source of risk, but of refuge. He says they are asking each church, mosque, and temple to share the burden of responsibility, and look after their worshippers with the same duty of care that is at the centre of all their efforts.

Bainimarama is asking houses of worship to set up hand-washing stations, limit physical contact, encourage distancing measures, and consider holding more services to ensure adherence to the 100-person limit.