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Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002)

Notices

Norms and Standards for Religious Gatherings - Alert Level 1

4. Health and Safety measures at places of worship

 

(1) All religious leaders or persons in charge of places of worship must ensure that every person entering a place of worship complies with the general measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 as provided for in regulations 5(1) and 69(1) of the Regulations, which require the wearing a face mask and the maintenance of a distance of at least one and a half metres from another.

 

(2) Every place of worship must implement the following health and safety measures:
(a) Screen every person entering the place of worship for symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as: fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing or malaise;
(b) require every person to report whether they suffer from any of the following additional symptoms such as body aches, loss of smell or loss of taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness or tiredness; and
(c) require every person to immediately inform the religious leader or person in charge of the service if they experience any of the symptoms referred to above while at the place of worship.

 

(3) If a person presents with those symptoms, or advises the religious leader or person in charge of the service of these symptoms, the religious leader or person in charge must—
(a) not permit the person to enter the place of worship;
(b) where a person is already at the place of worship and shows symptoms consistent with COVID-19, immediately isolate the person, and assist the person, to make arrangements to be transported, in a manner that does not place other persons or members of the public at risk, for a medical examination and testing; and
(c) a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 must immediately inform the religious leader of any gathering in which they previously participated in the past 10 days, and he or she may not attend any gathering within 10 days from the date of receiving the positive test.

 

(4) A person may not enter a place of worship if they have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 referred to in subparagraph (2)(a) and (b) above.

 

(5) In the case where a work place also serves as a place of worship, it is the responsibility of employers under existing health and safety laws and protocols to ensure that employees and volunteers are not exposed to the risk of COVID-19 and that their health and safety is not compromised.