By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 3: Houses of worship in Covid-19 orange, yellow and green zones in Sarawak are now allowed to open for prayers according to strict compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which has been extended to March 15.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) have updated the guidelines for the operation of houses of worship during CMCO in the state.
In the latest SOP as of March 1, 2021, participation for worship is limited to 50 per cent of the capacity or size of the premises and by taking into account physical distancing of at least one metre.
Internal management meetings in houses of worship in these three zones are only permitted for committee members.
Houses of worship in red zones are still not allowed to reopen to the general public except for a limited number of members to conduct virtual services.
To carry out virtual services, not more than 12 people are allowed on the premises at any one time, either a livestream crew or administrative committee members, and must strictly adhere to the SOP.
While committee members are allowed to hold internal management meetings, they are however strongly advised to opt for virtual meetings via applications like Zoom.
Currently, ten districts in Sarawak are classified as red zones namely Selangau, Kanowit, Betong, Meradong, Kuching, Samarahan, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Sibu.
Other than wedding ceremonies which are allowed with a limited number of attendees in all zones, all other activities like cultural ceremonies, funeral rites, seminars, courses, gatherings and any activities that would involve a large number of people and are not for religious purposes are not permitted in any zones yet during CMCO.
However, all kinds of activities are strictly prohibited in the Enhanced MCO (EMCO) area which currently only affects Sentosa Resettlement Scheme Phase 2 in Sibu until March 12. — DayakDaily
