UK set to allow individual prayer at places of worship as part of lockdown easing

THE UK government said Sunday (7) it will reopen places of worship for individual prayer on June 15 as it reportedly looks to speed up easing measures in order to save jobs.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said services and worship groups will still be banned for the time being due to concern that the new coronavirus spreads more quickly in enclosed spaces.

"People of all faiths have shown enormous patience and forbearance, unable to mark Easter, Passover, Ramadan or Vaisakhi with friends and family in the traditional way," Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said in a statement.

"Ensuring places of worship can open again, beginning with individual prayer has been my priority. Their contribution to the common good of our country is clear, as places of solace, comfort, stability and dignity. And the need for them is all the greater as we weather the uncertainties of the pandemic.”

The decision followed discussions between the government and representatives of major faiths through the Places of Worship Taskforce.

UK Faith Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: "The government has determined that this is the right time to begin re-opening places of worship for individual prayer. It’s our hope that this is the first step in places of worship reopening fully, when the science supports it."

Communally led worship or devotion such as prayer meetings, kirtan, jummah, services, evensong and mass will not be permitted to curtail large gatherings and maintain social distance.

Faith leaders will be asked to carry out a risk assessment of the place of worship and tailor the guidance as appropriate for the venue and practices being carried out.

This will be in addition to any risk assessment already in place, the communities ministry said.

All places of worship will have to individually manage the number of worshippers.

Individual prayer within a place of worship is defined as a person or household entering the venue to pray on their own and not as part of a group or communal act. They should be socially distanced from other individuals or households, the ministry added.

Places of worship will also have discretion over when they consider it safe to open and may decide to remain closed or reopen at a slower pace.

Under the existing Covid-19 regulations, funerals are allowed in places of worship where it is possible to do so safely. Other gatherings and services such as baptisms, weddings, supplementary schools, meetings and classes are not permitted.

Emphasis on economy

The government also intends to reopen all stores on June 15 and then push ahead with a reported plan to return to something resembling the old way of life in July.

It is now coming under attack for starting to lift the restrictions too quickly.

The average reinfection rate in some northwestern and southwestern parts of Britain is still perilously close to the 1.0 figure above which the virus begins to spread.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock argued that the government was proceeding with abundant caution because it was wary of the dire economic effects of a second lockdown.

"The worst thing for the economy would be a second spike," he told Sky News.

Hancock dismissed reports of a raging policy clash between pro-business government ministers and more health conscious scientific advisers.

"I care deeply about getting the economy going and the best way to get the economy going is to ensure that we get the number of new infections right down," he said.

The Sunday Times said Johnson signed off on a sped-up scheduled after being told Friday that a failure to reopen the hospitality sector by the summer could cost 3.5 million jobs.

The newspaper added that Johnson wanted the government to cut social distancing guidelines from two metres to one "if scientific evidence can be found to justify the move".

"It's right that the emphasis has shifted to the economic side and a return to normal life," an unnamed cabinet minister told the paper.

"Boris wants us back to normal, or as near to it as possible before the summer," another unnamed source told The Sunday Times.