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As part of the updated safe management measures (SMMs) announced on Friday (Aug. 6), the public was informed that the restrictions on worship services and other activities in places of worship would be relaxed in two phases, from Aug. 10, and from Aug. 19.
On Aug. 7, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) issued an update with specific details on the updated SMMs for religious organisations, including the conditions for religious organisations' activities under the new measures.
The update provided information on increased limits on the number of people allowed for:
- Services involving vaccinated worshippers
- Live performance elements during services
- Religious rites and religious classes
- Recording and broadcasting of services
- Marriage solemnisations at places of worship
- Funerals, wakes, installation of niches, and post-funeral rites at places of worship
Various conditions and restrictions for the above activities were also laid out.
Increased limits on fully-vaccinated worshippers at services
From Aug. 10, congregational and other worship services can have up to 500 fully-vaccinated worshippers.
This is an increase from the current limit of 100 worshippers, with pre-event testing (PET) for all attendees under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).
The 500-person limit will be raised to 1,000 from Aug. 19.
However, MCCY highlighted the following conditions for these larger services to be held:
- All worshippers, religious and supporting workers must be vaccinated.
- Worshippers must participate in groups of no more than five persons.
- Worshippers have to be segregated into zones holding no more than 50 worshippers each.
- Zones must be completely segregated with physical partitions meeting MCCY's requirements, and each zone must have a separate entrance and exit, or staggered timings to enter and exit. This is so that worshippers from different zones do not mix with one another.
Who is considered vaccinated?
MCCY said that individuals would be considered vaccinated if they met any of the following conditions:
- Received the full regimen of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna vaccines, or any of the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines, such as Sinovac-CoronaVac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca, with an additional two weeks for the vaccine to be fully-effective.
- Recovered from Covid-19.
- Obtained a negative result from PET, with the test being taken in the past 24 hours before the expected end of the event.
This is in line with what was announced by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on Aug. 6.
Children under 12 can make up no more than 20 per cent of total worshippers
MCCY also announced that children under 12 can participate in these "vaccinated-only worship services", under the following conditions:
- Children under 12 can make up no more than 20 per cent of the total number of worshippers on-site.
- For groups of worshippers with more than one child under 12, all children must be from the same household.
- Children aged 6 to under 12 must wear a face mask at all times. While face shields are not permitted as substitutes, MCCY said that young children are still "strongly encouraged" to use a mask.
Services of up to 50 if congregations unvaccinated
Meanwhile, religious services can continue to have services for up to 50 worshippers, regardless of vaccination status and without PET, as per the current measures in effect now.
Larger groups of five will be allowed at such services, from Aug. 10.
Restrictions on live performance elements during services relaxed
Restrictions on live performance elements during services will also be relaxed, MCCY said.
From Aug. 10, up to 10 persons who are involved in the conduct of the worship service may unmask at any given time, of which up to 10 persons can be unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments. Persons should only unmask when required to perform their duties.
However, MCCY said that if there are persons unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments, all persons involved in the live performance elements must be vaccinated. All worshippers participating in the worship service must be vaccinated as well.
Furthermore, persons unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments must also undergo PET and must have valid results for the duration of the worship service, MCCY added.
Increased limits on attendees at marriage solemnisations
Religious organisations will also be allowed to conduct marriage solemnisations with a larger number of attendees.
Solemnisations with up to 500 vaccinated attendees, including the bride and groom, can be held from Aug. 10.
The limit will increase to 1,000 from Aug. 19.
However, these activities are subject to SMMs and the safe distancing capacity of the premises, said MCCY.
For example, there must not be any reception with food and drinks, or wedding celebrations that are not essential religious rites at such events.
Religious organisations are "strongly encouraged" to continue offering video link solemnisations as an option for couples, MCCY added.
Other restrictions relaxed
From Aug. 10, restrictions will also be relaxed to allow more persons to participate in funerals, wakes, installation of niches, and post-funeral rites at places of worship – from the current limit of 20, up to 30 attendees who can be in groups of up to five persons.
Religious rites and religious classes, as well as recording and broadcasting of services will also be allowed to take place with higher capacity limits.
More information on the updated SMMs can be found on MCCY's website.
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