London, June 7: Places of worship across England will be permitted to reopen for individual prayer from June 15 as the country's coronavirus lockdown eases further, UK Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Sunday. The decision follows discussions between the government and representatives of major faiths through the Places of Worship Taskforce, which the minister chairs.

Communally led worship or devotion such as prayer meetings, kirtan, jummah, services, evensong and mass will not be permitted to curtail large gatherings and maintain social distance. “People of all faiths have shown enormous patience and forbearance, unable to mark Easter, Passover, Ramadan or Vaisakhi with friends and family in the traditional way. As we control the virus, we are now able to move forwards with a limited, but important return to houses of worship,” said Jenrick. Donald Trump Urges US State Governors to Allow Places of Worship to Reopen Immediately As Country Moves Towards Lifting of Lockdown.

“Ensuring places of worship can open again, beginning with individual prayer has been my priority. Their contribution to the common good of our country is clear, as places of solace, comfort, stability and dignity. And the need for them is all the greater as we weather the uncertainties of the pandemic,” he said.

Individual temples, gurdwaras, churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship will have to individually manage the number of worshippers attending.

UK Faith Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Religious communities have shown enormous resilience and sacrifice in celebrating significant spiritual moments like Easter, Passover, Ramadan, Eid and Vaisakhi at home during these extraordinary times.

“The government has determined that this is the right time to begin re-opening places of worship for individual prayer. It's our hope that this is the first step in places of worship reopening fully, when the science supports it.”

The devolved administration of Northern Ireland already allows private prayer at places of worship but Scotland and Wales are yet to confirm their plans. The UK government said that new guidance will be published in the coming days to ensure the limited re-opening of places of worship in England can be done safely and in line with social distancing guidelines.

This will recommend the thorough cleaning of shared spaces, hand cleansing at entry and exit and asking worshippers to bring their own items such as a prayer mat or religious text instead of sharing or using communal ones.

Faith leaders will be asked to carry out a risk assessment of the place of worship and tailor the guidance as appropriate for the venue and practices being carried out. This will be in addition to any risk assessment already in place, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.

Individual prayer within a place of worship is defined as a person or household entering the venue to pray on their own and not as part of a group or communal act. They should be socially distanced from other individuals or households, the ministry added.

Places of worship still have discretion over when they consider it safe to open and may decide to remain closed or reopen at a slower pace. Under the existing Covid-19 regulations, funerals are allowed in places of worship where it is possible to do so safely. Other gatherings and services such as baptisms, weddings, supplementary schools, meetings and classes are not permitted.

However, places of worship are allowed to open for ministers of religion to film or record a service for broadcast, for the hosting of essential voluntary activities such as homeless services, for registered early years and childcare providers and for blood donation sessions. Places of worship across the UK closed their doors to worshippers for almost two months as the UK went into lockdown on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.