An illustrative picture released by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to educate worshippers about preventive and precautionary measures to follow for performing prayer in mosque.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has issued guidelines to perform prayers in mosques during gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Qatar. As many as 500 mosques reopened in the country on June 15 under phase one easing restrictions of coronavirus.
The mosque should open five minutes before the call for prayer and should close five minutes after the prayer, said the Ministry in the guidelines posted on its website.
The mosques’ doors should close once the prayer starts or when the mosques agreed capacity is reached. The guideline asked for ensuring proper hand sanitizing before entering the mosque.
As per the guidelines, the toilets and ablution places will be closed and the temperature of all workers should be checked. All employees and worshippers should have Ehteraz app and their status should be green to allow entry. Masks must be worn by all- the worshipers and mosques’ employees and workers.
Worshippers and the mosques’ employees and workers are encouraged to use a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it directly into a waste bin. Sanitizers should be provided at the entrance and multiple locations in the mosque. Surfaces, carpets, corridors, and areas where shoes are kept should be cleaned and disinfected after each prayer and regularly.
A housekeeping record log must be maintained at the mosque and worshipers must be encouraged to bring their own Qur’an or use their phone application to read it.
At least half of the windows and doors should be kept open during prayer time to ensure proper ventilation inside the mosque. They can be closed after the prayer ends, and worshipers leave the mosque.
Packs of tissue papers should be available and waste bins should be distributed throughout the mosque. The worshipers will not be allowed to enter the mosque without wearing a mask and bringing their prayer mat. A minimum safe distance of 1.5 meters should be maintained between worshipers and they should be encouraged by the Imam.
According to the guidelines, floor markings should be used on the mosque’s carpets to guide the worshipers’ position and maintain physical distancing. Enough space should be provided on the sides of the mosque to allow for worshipers’ exit from the first rows without the need to go through the others.
A response procedure in alignment with MoPH guidance should be in placed to deal with suspected cases. An isolation room should be assigned at the mosque, and the residency of workers to separate suspected cases until the medical team from MoPH is alerted.
As per the guidelines, all employees are encouraged not to go to work if they have respiratory symptoms or fever and should report sick to their employer.
Vulnerable groups are advised to pray at home and Children aged 12 and below are not allowed to enter the mosques. Each mosque should have a sticker or poster at its entrance indicating the maximum occupancy.
The guideline aims at providing research-based guidance on best practices to facilitate a gradual and safe restoration to mosques and the development of effective measures to protect the health of worshippers and mosque workers by reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection during the performance of the prayer in the mosque.
