Government To Impose Mandatory Wearing Of Masks In All Churches And Mosques Effective 5th June

The president of the republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday enumerated measures to ease the restrictions on religious bodies in accomplishing their calls to their objects of worship and has disclosed that there would be forces to ensure the mandatory wearing of masks in the churches and mosques effective Friday 5th June, 2020.

In the president’s 10th address to the nation on updates to Ghana’s enhanced response to the coronavirus pandemic on sunday 31st May, 2020, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo clearly stated that Twenty-five percent (25%) attendance, with a maximum number of one hundred (100) congregants, can worship at a time in church or at the mosque, with a mandatory one metre rule of social distancing between congregants. In addition to the mandatory wearing of masks for all persons at all times in churches and mosques, a register of names and contact details of all worshippers and hand washing facilities and sanitisers must be provided, with a maximum duration of one (1) hour for each service. 

He added that Religious institutions that are desirous of opening their premises to their members, such as churches, mosques and others, must disinfect, fumigate and put in place the requisite logistics needed to guarantee safe opening and operation. They must work with the designated, regulatory bodies and undertake test runs of the protocols outlined.

“I would appeal to them, in the case of Christians, on the first Sunday of re-opening, i.e. 7th June, in the case of the Adventists, Saturday, 6th June, and in the case of Muslims, on the first Friday, i.e. Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah on 5th June, to dedicate their worship to prayers for the nation in these challenging times. The Minister for Religious Affairs, will, tomorrow, Monday, 1st June, outline, in detail, the specific guidelines for the safe reopening of our churches and mosque” – Prez Akufo-Addo

By: Nana Gyasi | Radio 1| Ghana