The Grace Assembly of God church in Singapore is re-opening its doors in less than a week's time, after several of its staff and members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The church is planning on resuming regular operations by Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Services are to start again from next Saturday, Feb. 29.
Concerns
Grace Assembly said via a spokesperson that it understands if there are concerns among congregants about returning.
A spokesperson told The Straits Times: "We want to assure them the church is doing what is necessary to ensure our premises are safe for their return."
Congregants are assured it is safe to return, as major disinfecting and cleaning of common areas have been carried out and with a greater frequency, ST reported.
Congregants have also been advised to perform alternative methods of greeting other than engaging in handshakes.
Services suspended
The church runs multiple services at its two locations in Bukit Batok and Tanglin.
Services and activities at both branches have been suspended for two weeks.
The premises have been closed and will remain so until Tuesday, Feb. 25.
It has been linked to 22 Covid-19 cases in Singapore.
The church has the dubious honour of being the biggest cluster of coronavirus infections in the country.
Singapore has 85 confirmed cases.
Grace Assembly has more than 4,000 members.
It is the second church group to have a cluster.
The first church group to have a cluster is The Life Church and Missions in Paya Lebar.
It was identified earlier as a cluster, with some cases linked to other churches here.
Super spreading of virus
More than 70 Grace Assembly church employees are required to be isolated at home or other suitable facilities, after all were issued with quarantine orders.
The church's senior pastor Wilson Teo tested positive for the virus.
He is still warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
Experts have said that large groups that gather for a considerable amount of time have a heightened risk of the virus super-spreading.
The current clusters emerging in houses of worship in Singapore, and even South Korea, have more to do with the environmental conditions that allow the virus to spread, such as air-conditioned spaces and those with poor ventilation, and having a large group of people gathered together in close proximity at the same time.
Top photo by Rachel Ng