Places of worship have been allowed to open again by the government as coronavirus-enforced regulations around them got revised on Thursday.
The Gambia government through its spokesperson has announced that public places of worship such as churches and mosques may open. The government has however announced conditions around their reopening.
A statement by government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh on Thursday said: “A public place of worship (mosque, church, et cetera.) may be opened fifteen (15) minutes before scheduled congregational prayers and shall be closed immediately after the end of prayers.
“A person in charge of a place of worship shall ensure the availability of hand cleansing and hygiene materials at the entrance of the premises to be used by all worshippers.
“Each worshipper shall wear a facemask covering the mouth and nose; all taps and toilets in the premises of worship centres shall remain closed to the public. In the cases of mosques, all worshippers shall come with their own prayer mats and worshippers shall keep a distance of at least one (1) metre from each other.
“By this Regulation, all churches or mosques shall be closed immediately after every congregational prayer and a Special Committee shall be established by each worship centre in The Gambia for the observance of these new public health and safety guidelines.
“The Gambia Government encourages all Mosque and Church Committees to engage their members and worshippers in adhering to the letter of the State of Public Emergency Regulations governing places of worships and all other aspects of public life.”
