This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
Churches and Mosques Resume Congregational Worship Amid COVID-19 Concerns ¶
Kenya will join countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa in reopening places of worship for in-person services on July 14, after a four-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the decision has raised concerns over the ability of religious institutions to self-regulate and prevent the spread of the virus, particularly in churches.
Scenes of recklessness in chapels last weekend, where worship teams and choirs sang loudly without observing social distancing protocols, have raised fears that the problem could get worse.
President Uhuru Kenyatta allowed worship places to resume services, but strict guidelines have been outlined for the reopening, including the use of face masks and social distancing.
Despite these guidelines, some churches in Nairobi and other regions across the country have been accused of ignoring caution and recklessly resuming services on Sunday, July 12.
As churches reopen, the big question remains whether health protocols will remain in place, particularly in light of the surging COVID-19 cases in the country.
It has been documented that new coronavirus outbreaks are surging through places of worship in the USA, just weeks after President Trump ordered they be allowed to reopen.
According to The New York Times, the virus infiltrated Sunday sermons, meetings of ministers, and Christian youth camps in Colorado and Missouri, striking churches that embraced the set guidelines and those that ignored them almost in equal measure.
So bad was the situation that as the virus raged through the states, some churches that fought to reopen were forced to close again and grapple with whether it was even possible to worship together safely.
Public health experts have emphasized that, even with social distancing, the novel coronavirus could easily spread through the air as a result of singing and preaching in closed spaces.
They described worship services as the ideal setting for COVID-19 transmission, and warned that the virus could spread quickly through the air as a result of singing and preaching in closed spaces.
As a result, some churches and mosques have decided to remain indefinitely closed, despite religious institutions coming up with protocols to guide reopening.
Over the weekend, the leadership of Christ is The Answer Ministry (CITAM) said the church will not reopen and will instead continue with virtual services given the escalating COVID-19 cases.
Other churches that have advised their members to continue worshipping from home include Nairobi Baptist, Parklands Baptist, Jubilee Christian, and the Nairobi Central Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA).
