Peterborough mosque leaders taking advice from health officials as public worship continues

Yesterday Peterborough Cathedral said public services were being suspended during the national coronavirus lockdown - despite public worship being allowed to continue.Today Abdul Choudhuri, chairman of the Peterborough Joint Mosques Council, said measures were in places at mosques in the city to keep them COVID secure.

He said; "It is a very difficult time for places of worship - on one hand places of worship offer spiritual guidance for people and on other hand we need to control the spread of Covid 19.

"At the moment Mosques are still open but we are watching the situation on daily basis and trying to improve the facilities being provided to worshipers according to the government guidelines, opening doors and windows for ventilation and having wide social distances etc.

"we are regularly in touch with Peterborough City Council health officials and are guided by the advice."

Under the national lockdown, places of worship remain open for communal worship. This is now one of the very few legal exemptions that allow larger numbers of people to gather.

The Government guidelines are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-from-2-december#national-lockdown