Sunday Mass and religious rituals are to be suspended across churches throughout the capital, in an attempt to protect worshippers amid a continued spike of local COVID-19 cases.

The suspension will be implemented across Marka, Ashrafieh, Al-Masdar, Downtown, and Mount Taj.

The government will coordinate with the Council of Church Heads in order to implement its latest strategy to contain the spread of the virus, which includes suspending some activities and closing some sectors in areas where the epidemic is spreading. These measures are being take as an alternative to a comprehensive lockdown.

Religious prayers and rituals will remain as usual in the remainder of the country, with an emphasis on the need to follow all preventive and health safety measures. These include physical distancing, wearing face masks and avoiding gatherings that may contribute to the transmission of the infection.