New COVID-19 restrictions for all religious places of worship

• Health Ministry decides to further control public gatherings as number of daily cases rises
• Maximum number of persons allowed to gather at any place of worship reduced by 50% to 25
• Wakfs Board of Sri Lanka decides to temporarily suspend Taraweeh, Jummah prayers, congregational activities in all mosques until further notice

The Health Services Director General announced that all religious congregational activities will be prohibited until further notice due to the spike in COVID-19 cases islandwide.

Accordingly, the maximum number of persons allowed to gather at any place of worship has been reduced to 25. Previously the maximum number of persons allowed at religious places had been 50.

Issuing a media release, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena said based on the risks of the current COVID-19 situation, amendments have been made to the restrictions on activities at religious places of worship. 

The Health Ministry has decided to further control the public gatherings due to the increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases.

Accordingly, congregational activities and meetings are prohibited at all places of religious worship until further notice, whilst the number of devotees allowed to enter these premises at any given time should be limited to 50% of the maximum space available and a maximum of 25 persons at a time.  

In the meantime, Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department said that the Wakfs Board of Sri Lanka had decided to temporarily suspend Taraweeh, Jummah prayers and congregational activities in all mosques until further notice. 

Issuing a circular yesterday to all trustees and persons in charge of mosques regarding emergency COVID-19 restrictions, the Department also said that only a maximum of 25 persons would be permitted to participate in five-time Jamath prayers at any given time in any mosque.

In view of the rapid and unprecedented spread of COVID-19, on advice of the health authorities, the Wakfs Board of Sri Lanka, has decided the following:

1. To temporarily suspend Taraweeh, Jummah prayers and congregational activities such as Bayan, Qiyamul Lail, I’thikaf and Thowbah, etc. in all mosques in the island until further notice 

2. To permit five-time Jamath prayers with maximum of 25 persons at any given time in any mosque

3. Wearing face mask, maintaining one m distance, carrying the own prayer mat and taking ablution from home are compulsory 

4. All ablution areas in the mosques are to be kept closed 

5. To keep closed all mosques in areas declared as isolated/restricted till further notice 

6. All the other health/security authority regulations and the previous Wakfs Board directions are to be very strictly followed 

7. To permit the trustees/persons in charge to decide to keep the mosque closed, if strict compliance with the above are not practical/possible.