Places of worship to open in UAE on July 1

Our Correspondent
The UAE government has announced that mosques, prayer spaces, and other places of worship will gradually reopen nationwide from July 1 and operate at 30 per cent capacity. However, prayer spaces in motorways, industrial areas, labour camps, cooperative societies, commercial centres and parks twill all remain closed until further notice.
However, Friday prayers will remain suspended in all mosques until further notice and therefore mosques will remain closed on Fridays only, said Dr. Saif Juma Al Dhaheri, Spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) at a media briefing on July 29. The public should take precautionary measures while coming for prayers, such as maintaining a minimum three-metre distance between worshippers, avoiding congregations and handshakes.
All should perform ablution at home, hand sanitise regularly and wear face masks before coming for each prayer, he said. Holy Quran recitals and readings should be from the worshiper’s own personal or electronic Moshaf, he said. Communal holy books available in mosques are prohibited for use. Every Muslim should bring his own prayer mat and not leave it behind or store it at mosques after prayers. All mosque goers have to download Al Hosn app on their smartphones.
However, the elderly among both Emiratis and residents, children under 12 years and people with chronic and respiratory diseases are not allowed to come to mosques or other places of worship for their own safety. Those living with people in contact with COVID-19 patients as well as those living with patients under treatment should not to come to mosques until they are cured.
Mosques and places of worship where COVID-19 cases are detected will be closed, Al Dhaheri warned.