SINGAPORE, May 6 — From Saturday (May 8), worshippers at religious services will not be allowed to sing, as the authorities scaled back on an allowance that was made just a month ago.
The cap for the maximum number of people allowed for congregational and other worship services without them having to go through pre-event testing will also be reduced from 250 to 100 people.
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) released these updated guidelines on Wednesday, a day after the task force dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic stepped up various measures to tackle the rising number of locally transmitted Covid-19 cases.
When Singapore started Phase Three on December 28 last year to gradually resume social and economic activities after a partial lockdown, religious organisations were allowed to conduct congregational and other worship services at higher capacity limits.
Worshippers were also allowed to resume singing from April 5 this year, subject to implementation of safety measures.
Singing
― There will be no singing by worshippers
― Persons involved in or supporting the conduct of the worship service will also not be allowed to sing while masked
― Religious organisations are “strongly encouraged” to minimise other live performance elements during their worship services, such as the playing of wind instruments
Congregational and worship services
― No pre-event testing is required for services that involve up to 100 people. While religious workers are excluded from this number, MCCY said that they should be kept to a minimum
― Services that involve between 101 and 250 people will only be allowed if pre-event testing is done
― However, MCCY said that worshippers can be exempted from the pre-event test if they have either been vaccinated or are able to produce a notice exempting them from the tests
― The tests, either an Antigen Rapid Test or a Polymerase Chain Reaction, must be administered by an approved test provider
― The test results are only valid for 24 hours from the time an individual registers at the testing premises to take the test.
― MCCY said that the religious organisation must ensure that the result of the test is valid until the end of the worshipper’s participation in the worship service
― For any service exceeding 50 people, MCCY said that worshippers have to be segregated into zones holding no more than 50 persons each
Marriage solemnisation
― Religious organisations will still be allowed to use places of worship to conduct marriage solemnisation
― Similar to congregation and worship services, no pre-event testing will be required unless it involves between 51 and 250 attendees
― Attendees will likewise have to be segregated into zones of up to 50 people each
― A wedding party, including the couple and their two witnesses, of up to 20 people, will be allowed
― There will be no intermingling or mixing between groups or between the “wedding party” and these other groups, MCCY said
― There must also not be any reception with food and drinks, or any wedding celebrations that are not essential religious rites
― MCCY said that it also encourages the suspension of live instrumental music during this period
― No other performances such as singing or dancing are allowed
Funerals
― There should be no more than 30 attendees at funerals, wakes, installation of niches and post-funeral rites at places of worship at any time
― This includes the day of burial or cremation
― MCCY said that visits to the columbaria at places of worship should be kept as short as possible, with no mingling between groups of no more than five persons ― TODAY
