National unity ministry sets SOPs for the fully vaccinated at non-Muslim houses of worship

The national unity ministry has set SOPs for the opening of non-Muslim houses of worship during the National Recovery Plan (NRP) period for individuals fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

“The total number of congregants who can attend a house of worship for the purpose of religious activities or prayers depends on the state or phase (NRP phase) in which they reside or are in,” the ministry said in a statement today.

For states in Phases One and Two of the NRP, the attendance of fully vaccinated congregants for the purpose of religious activities or prayers is limited to 50 people at a time, while worshipping hours are from 6am to 2pm and from 4pm to 10pm.

For states in Phase Three of the NRP, the attendance limit for fully vaccinated worshippers for religious activities or prayers is subject to the size of the place of worship, while operating hours are allowed from 6am to 2pm and from 4pm to 10pm.

The ministry also said that a fully vaccinated recipient refers to a congregant who has received two doses of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccine, and that the individual must have completed 14 days from the date of being given the second dose.

Meanwhile, for vaccines that only require one-dose shots, namely Johnson & Johnson and CanSino, the congregant must have completed 28 days from the date of the injection.

States in Phase One of the NRP are Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, the federal territories of Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, as well as Selangor and Kedah.

Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak, Pahang, Penang and Sabah are in Phase Two while Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan are in Phase Three.