Egypt’s Coptic church's instructions on coexisting with COVID-19

CAIRO – 28 June 2020: The Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria issued Saturday a comprehensive memorandum on the regulations to be followed when churches are re-opened amid the global pandemic of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The memorandum stated that service activities and Sunday schools will stay suspended at all parishes, and funeral services will be attended by the family of the departed only.
Marriages shall be attended by six individuals only plus the groom, the bride, the deacon, and the priest, stated the memorandum.

The memorandum pointed out that during the daily mass all restrooms will be closed as part of the social distancing plan, adding that only 20 prayers shall attend the mass beside one priest and 4 deacons, the number could be increased after two weeks.

More than one mass shall be held daily while taking into consideration all the precautionary measures, as the priest is tasked alone to carry out the first communion. All the people of the church shall have an equal opportunity to attend the masses through the rescheduled appointments, said the memorandum.

Every church shall set up a committee that includes medical doctors to monitor the implementation of the precautionary measures, while church scouts shall be responsible for the entrance and exit of all prayers, disinfection process, and make sure prayers are following the measures.

All prayers should bring their personal items used during the mass such as the headscarf and water bottles, as no sharing will be allowed as per the precautionary measures.

All prayers must wear a mask while entering the church, and their temperature will be taken at the gates, said the memorandum.

All those who show symptoms of COVID-19 virus such as fever, diarrhea, sore throat, will be banned from attending any of the masses to avoid infecting other prayers. As per the social distancing measures, prayers will not be allowed to shake hands with the priest or any other member of the church.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli announced Tuesday a bundle of measures – including the cancelation of the partial curfew - aimed at co-existing with COVID-19 that went into effect on Saturday.