Egypt is allowing the holding of funeral prayers in mosques'
open-air courtyards nationwide starting Monday under strict safety measures,
six months after the shutdown of funeral services in the country due to the
coronavirus pandemic, Religious Endowments Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa said
in a statement.
Gomaa said that the safety measures, which were approved by the coronavirus management committee at the cabinet, include limiting funeral prayers to no more than 15 minutes, all participants in funeral prayers are required to wear facemasks and adhere to social distancing, Gomaa said, washing rooms will be closed to participants.
If the funeral prayer is held in a mosque’s open-air courtyard, a plastic cloth must be placed under the deceased’s coffin, the funeral prayer can also be held at graveyards or any open courtyard if nearby mosques do not have an open-air space.
Gomaa said that the decision to resume funeral prayers will be under “continuous assessment” to monitor citizens’ commitment to preventive measures.
The return of the prayers comes nearly a week after Egypt eased more lockdown measures, including allowing open-air weddings starting 21 September.
Source: Ahram Online
