President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday evening announced that South African places of worship, such as mosques and churches, may reopen under strict conditions during lockdown Level 3 on 1 June.
"We understand the great impact that the closure of places of worship have had on members of the faith community, and that this has worsened the distress of communities who are unable to worship in congregation," Ramaphosa said.
There may be no more than 50 people per service
Ramaphosa said places of worship may reopen subject to strict restrictions, which he said are absolutely necessary if the country wants to prevent infections from rising.
Places of worship will have to introduce physical distancing rules
Physical distancing will have to be observed at all places of worship, Ramaphosa said.
All places of worship will have to be thoroughly cleaned
All religious organisations must put protocols in place to, among other things, thoroughly clean and sanitise places of worship before and after services, Ramaphosa said.
