The Ministry of Religious Endowments released the regulations, on Tuesday, for the reopening of mosques across the country, which is set to take place on Saturday 27 June.
The ministry said that mosques will resume the five daily prayers as normal, opening 10 minutes before prayer times. They will close immediately following prayers. Funeral and marriage ceremonies, as well as lectures or other related activities remain unavailable until further notice. Shrines will also remain closed until further notice.
Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly annoucned that places of worship will only open for daily prayer services. They will, however, be closed to weekly Friday and Sunday gatherings for both Muslims and Christians, respectively.
Worshippers who chose to attend mosques will be obliged to wear face masks, bring their own prayer mats, and must adhere to social distancing measures.
Mosque areas for women and toilet areas will remain closed, and comprehensive disinfection and sterilisation efforts across all areas of the mosques will be regularly applied.
If worshippers do not commit to the precautionary measures, the mosque will be immediately closed and will not be reopened until the end of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the reopening of places of worship across Egypt, with full precautionary measures in place to avoid the spread of the virus.
On 21 March, Egypt announced the closure of all churches and mosques, amid efforts to curb the coronavirus outbreak.
The government will lift its nationwide night-time curfew starting on 27 June, according to Hani Youni, the media adviser to the Prime Minister. The move comes as the government begins to put in place its plan for reopening the country, as part of its coexistence plan with the coronavirus.
