From Monday, 29 August, the wearing of masks will no longer be mandatory during church worship services, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth – which oversees religious bodies in Singapore – announced on Thursday (25 August).

However, worshippers will be encouraged to “exercise responsibility and caution, such as wearing masks when in crowded places”.

These relaxation of rules is in line with what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced at the National Day Rally on Sunday (21 August).

“Our safe management measures have protected us well throughout the pandemic,” said Mr Lee at the National Day Rally. “With our situation stabilising, we will reduce the mask requirements further to prevent people from getting tired.”

“All worshippers and performers can sing and play instruments without wearing masks,” announced MCCY.

While the requirement for masks in indoor settings such as church services has been removed, MCCY said there will be no change to existing Vaccination-Differentiated SMMs (VDS).

This means that for services involving more than 500 persons (excluding staff and volunteers), worshippers must be fully vaccinated, while churches have to conduct checks on their vaccination status. 

The capacity limit for congregational worship services and other religious activities has also been lifted. There is no need for safe distancing between each worshipper or performer, MCCY added.

The same rules apply for wedding solemnisations and funerals.

There is also no capacity limit on communal meals, though VDS will apply for any activity exceeding 500 attendees. Food or beverages need not be served in individual portions.

CONTINUED CAUTION ENCOURAGED

From 29 August, churches and other religious organisations need not seek MCCY approval before resuming worship services and religious activities, as long as they abide by the prevailing safety management measures.

MCCY said it reserves the right to suspend a church’s activities “if there are gaps in the SMMs and until the necessary rectifications are made”. Action could be taken against religious organisations for any lapses and breaches.

“This further easing of SMMs is a significant milestone towards living with COVID-19,” said MCCY.

“While many SMMs are no longer mandated, we urge religious organisations and their worshippers to continue to exercise personal and social responsibility, and to remain vigilant as the situation can quickly change with the emergence of new virus variants.”

Worshippers are hence “encouraged to continue exercising responsibility and caution, such as wearing masks when in crowded places, or when visiting or interacting with vulnerable persons”, as well as to maintain “good hygiene practices such as avoiding sharing of personal items and cleaning any items that are for shared use, such as microphones.