KUWAIT CITY, Jul 11: The Ministry of Health has announced health requirements that must be taken in mosques where Friday prayers will be held starting this week.

The ministry set 17 conditions for holding Friday prayers as stated below:

1- The mosques will be opened for Friday prayer half an hour before the prayer time, which is sufficient to ensure that the worshipers enter in an orderly manner maintaining social distancing.

2- Allow entry to the mosque for the age group between 18 and 60 years who do not suffer from any chronic diseases

3- The worshipers should wear a mask covering mouth and nose throughout the period of their presence in the mosque

4- The distance between the worshipers should be one and a half meters, laying of ground and standing signs will be marked on the floor.

5- Carry a personal prayer mat for each worshiper.

6- Opening all the doors of the mosque for entering and exit after prayer to reduce crowding between worshipers.

7- Allowing entry to the specified number of worshipers according to the total area available inside the mosque to maintain social distancing. People should organize the matter and prevent entry to more than the prescribed number, especially during the prayer period if possible seek help of the police if necessary.

8- Checking the temperature using the infrared ray thermometer (before entering the mosque in case people have high temperature which is higher than 37.5 degrees they should not be allowed to enter and advised to go to the nearest health center or home.

9- Provision should be made to have sufficient quantities of sanitizers, hand cleansing and tissue paper inside the mosque.

10- Reducing the duration of the Friday sermon to 10 minutes, taking into account the reading of the short verses during the prayer.

11- Worshipers should leave the mosque immediately after the end of the prayer keeping social distance.

12- Places of ablution and baths shut.

13- Publishing information at the entrance to the mosque of health awareness for worshipers, such as avoiding shaking hands and gatherings before and after prayers, adhering to etiquette of coughing and sneezing, maintaining physical distance when entering and leaving, and taking into account the wearing of silence.

14- Closing mosques for Friday prayers in areas with high population density and areas with high rates of infections.

15- Maintaining cleanliness inside the mosque with periodic cleansing of the mosque and wiping the frequent touch surfaces after prayer.