Moroccan mosques will begin to reopen from July 15 in a " gradual " manner and will remain closed for the Friday big prayer, the ministry of Islamic affairs announced on Tuesday.
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" It was decided (...) to gradually reopen the mosques throughout the national territory " from July 15 " taking into account the local epidemiological situation and the conditions of health control ," said the ministry in a communicated. " The mosques will remain closed for Friday prayers " and the date of their reopening on that day will be announced later, he added.
The faithful should wear a mask, use their own prayer mat, maintain a distance of about 1.5 meters with others and avoid " gatherings " and " handshakes ," he said. “ Local commissions ” will ensure compliance with the measures at the entrance to the mosques. The places of worship had closed in mid-March with the establishment of a state of health emergency and the implementation of wide restrictions to fight against the pandemic of new coronavirus.
At the beginning of June, the kingdom had started to soften these measures and at the end of June, it had accelerated its deconfinement with the reopening of cafes, restaurants, hotels and gyms as well as the resumption of domestic tourism and interurban travel. The state of health emergency remains in effect until July 10, the wearing of a mandatory mask and the borders closed " until further notice ". Some 14,500 cases of contamination, including 239 deaths, have been officially detected in the kingdom, which has 35 million inhabitants.