Background:There have been several outcries from believers and leaders of religious sects in Uganda for the government to allow places of worship to reopen to the public describing them as essential because they provide spiritual solace and guidance they give to congregants. There are questions however, of how places of worship will be able to observe public safety guidelines against COVID-19. Here we summarise evidence to inform considerations for standard operating procedures for places of worship when they finally reopen.Question: What safety measures should be considered in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for places of worship during the COVID-19 times?Findings:People need to access places of worship because they provide spiritual solace, guidance, stability and meaning which are paramount in such situations. The danger in accessing places of worship in such times is that we could easily create new unmanageable clusters of COVID-19 which can have regrettable consequences. There has to be standard operating procedures (SOPs) that places of worship have to follow to minimise the risk. The SOPs might contain:Healthy hygiene practices- Washing hand with soap and water at least 20 seconds or sanitizing hands using an alcohol based hand sanitizer of at least 60% before accessing places of worship - Maintaining a good cough etiquette like coughing in a tissue or inside a flexed elbowFace coverings- Wearing an appropriate face mask well at all times. Only people with face masks should be allowed to access places of worship. All people who canât use face masks due to different reasons should stay home. Cleaning, disinfection and ventilation - Intensifying cleaning of high-touch areas. This might be done in-between services. Physical distancing- Maintaining an the recommended physical distance among congregants in all proceedings of services. Physical guides should be in place to ensure individuals stick to the recommended distances.Other measures- Minimizing sharing worship materials like song books, prayer rugs, offertory baskets. - Using visual aids to guide the congregants on what to do. They should be placed in highly visible places to ensure all people see them. - Making sure staff are trained in safety precautions- Making sure all sick congregants stay home - Keeping a record of all people who participate in religious activities- Eliminating singing from the religious proceedings- Screening all congregants for fevers before they access the places of worshipConclusion:Standard operating procedures for places of worship should be comprehensive and customized culture and proceedings of before, during and after service in the respective religions.
