NEW DEHLI (UCAN): Church leaders in India’s Maharashtra state have welcomed a government decision to reopen places of worship seven months after shutting them down to check the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.
State chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray, announced on November 15 that all places of worship could start functioning from November 16 subject to strict protocols.
Thackeray said the decision comes as the number of new pandemic cases falls in the state. But people should not become complacent and take care of themselves while visiting religious places, he said.
“I was impatiently looking for this day,” Archbishop Felix Antony Machado of Vasai, said.
Oswald Cardinal Gracias, the archbishop of Bombay, also welcomed the government decision, but cautioned against rushing to churches for community prayers.
Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India’s biggest city with some 20 million people, used to be a Covid-19 hotspot.
“The cardinal has instructed parish priests in the archdiocese to keep the churches open for individual prayers for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening,” Father Nigel Barrett, the cardinal’s spokesperson, said.
However, the government said religious places should open only if they are outside Covid-19 containment zones.
“The timings will be decided by the local authorities. Only asymptomatic people will be allowed inside places of worship. The devotees will be allowed to enter places of worship in a staggered manner,” the announcement said.
Facemasks are mandatory and visitors must follow social distancing norms, it said. Shoes must be kept outside the premises. All visitors should be scanned for body temperature and given facilities for hand washing or sanitising.
Touching statues, holy books and idols, among other religious articles is also prohibited. Large gatherings also are banned.
“We are delighted that now we can pray in our churches in a group and individually. However, we don’t want to risk the life of people. Therefore, the cardinal has instructed to not start community prayers instantly in churches,” Father Barrett said on November 16, though opening hours will be limited in the morning and evening.
Later, officials will take stock of the situation and formulate Covid-19 protocols to allow community prayers including Masses.
India recorded 30,548 new cases of Covid-19 on November 15, the lowest in a single day since July 14.
