South Africa to Allow Religious Groupings of Up to 50 People

(Bloomberg) -- South African places of worship will be allowed to reopen for the first time in two months on June 1 as the country eases a national lockdown aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus.

The decision to allow a maximum of 50 people to take part in religious gatherings was made after consultation with leaders, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address late Tuesday. The rule will form part of so-called Level 3 regulations, the next phase of the country’s gradual reopening of the economy, he said.

South Africa is relaxing its lockdown even as Covid-19 cases increase and temperatures drop over the winter months, though confusion surrounds exactly how this will be done. Ramaphosa said in a speech to the nation on Sunday that the whole country would be moved to Level 3 next week, though Health Minister Zweki Mkhize said Tuesday that many areas -- termed hotspots -- would remain under current stricter conditions.

The decision to allow churches, mosques and temples to reopen sparked questions about the wisdom of allowing groups of strangers to congregate in confined spaces. Religious gatherings have been linked to cluster outbreaks around the world, and travelers to a service in South Africa’s central Free State province brought some of the earliest cases to the country in March.

“This sudden, seemingly rushed move is questionable,” the Jesuit Institute South Africa said in a statement on Wednesday. “Evidence of cluster spread in other parts of the world suggests that even in places of worship where strict social distancing rules were upheld there were reports of infection.”

Religious groups had requested to be allowed to gradually resume services and activities to help mitigate the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on communities. Many other industries and groups are lobbying government for their own interests to be served, while an ongoing ban on tobacco products is the subject of court proceedings.

“The more people mix, the more there is potential for spread,” the Jesuit Institute said. “Places of worship are not immune to the virus.”

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