CHRISTIANS are allowed to attend prayer and worship sessions at areas still under recovery movement-control order (RMCO) and conditional MCO, but with strict adherence to health and safety measures, said senior minister Ismail Sabri.

Ismail Sabri said visits at homes for Christmas celebrations can only be held on December 25.

“In areas under enhanced MCO, celebrations in churches are prohibited.

“And home celebrations are limited to family members of the same house.

“Open houses and carolling from house-to-house in all RMCO, CMCO and EMCO areas are not allowed,” he said today.

Although church doors are allowed to open in RMCO and CMCO areas, only those with no symptoms can attend services, Ismail Sabri said. 

He stipulated the times that services may be held in Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“On December 24, prayer services are allowed to be held from 5pm to 9.30pm with a division of two sessions only, each for one-and-a-half hour. 

“On December 25, prayer services are to be held from 7am to 1.45pm with a division of three sessions only, each for one-and-a-half hour. 

“In between, a sanitisation operation is required for 45 minutes before starting the new session.“

All church leaders and workers also need to undergo health screening before conducting services.

For celebrations at home in RMCO and CMCO areas, he said social distancing and the number of people allowed must be practised according to the size of the house.

“For landed houses, celebration among the immediate family should not exceed 20 people at a time.

“For strata houses with an area less than 1,500 sq ft, there cannot be more than 10 people. For an area exceeding 2,500 sq ft, there cannot be more than 15 people at a time.”

Business activities are also permitted by the local authorities but the defence minister encouraged online sales. – December 18, 2020.