Sunday Mass has been suspended across churches in Amman and Zarqa, and new health and safety measures have been announced in churches across the country after 17 new COVID-19 cases were recorded among worshippers in a church in the Ashrafieh area in Amman.

This is not the first time churches have been closed as part of the precautionary measures to confront the pandemic, said Father Rifat Badr.

The church in Ashrafieh in which COVID-19 cases were reported was sterilized and all the church’s activities were suspended, he added.

Father Rifat Badr announced the suspension of all meetings and events inside churches in light of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Strict measures will also be implemented for worshippers celebrating the Dormition of the Mother of God, which involves a two-week fast by Orthodox and Catholic Christians during August, followed by a celebratory feast. The dates vary depending on the branch of the faith. The number of worshippers allowed inside the church during this time will be restricted and social distancing will be adhered to, said Badr.