This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On July 12, 2020, the Catholic Church in Nairobi announced plans to reopen its churches on July 19, 2020, following the phased reopening of places of worship in the country.
According to a statement by John Cardinal Njue, Archbishop of the Nairobi Diocese, each parish will form a COVID-19 response team to assist faithful in adhering to the Health Ministry guidelines.
‘I urge you to take these guidelines seriously so that we may adequately prepare the faithful for the second phase of the reopening of our places of worship,’ Njue said.
The churches will be required to provide hand washing stations or alcohol-based sanitizers for faithful to use before and after gatherings.
They will also be expected to ensure that anyone who enters the church is wearing a face mask that covers the nose and mouth.
Additionally, thermal guns will be used to detect those who may have indicators of illness.
Other regulations include regular cleaning and disinfecting of worship places, ensuring social distancing of 1.5 meters between congregants, and regulating the number of congregants to a maximum of 100 persons.
Archbishop Njue further directed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, baptism services for infants will remain suspended, and anointing of the sick will be limited.
Ministers will be required to maintain social distance and wear face masks at all times.
On July 6, 2020, President Kenyatta announced the phased reopening of places of worship in the country, but only if they comply with set regulations for public gatherings.
