MA Houses Of Worship To Reopen: See The New Rules

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Houses of worship across Massachusetts could begin offering in-person services this week under a new safety plan created by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship have been closed in Massachusetts since March when Gov. Charlie Baker banned gatherings of 10 people or more. The closing of nonessential services was meant to slow the spread of coronavirus, and health officials have reported some positive signs of that recently.

READ: These MA Industries Will Be Allowed To Reopen In Phase 1

But religious services will not go back to normal right away. Under plans leaked over the weekend, worshipers will have to observe these rules:

• All attendees, except those under age 2, must wear a face covering. Parents can decide if children between ages 2 and 5 should wear face coverings. People with medical conditions do not have to wear a mask if they can present documentation.
• Anyone who is not wearing a face covering should be turned away from a religious service.
• Houses of worship can only accept 40 percent of the total capacity of a given building. Building staff will be in charge of enforcing the occupancy limit.
• Worshipers can group together if they are from the same household, but must stand 6 feet apart otherwise.
• Fixed seating, like church pews, should be closed off to keep distance between worshipers.

The planning council also recommended "best practices" for houses of worship, like making hand sanitizer available, and not passing around collection baskets during a service. For Catholic churches, the guidelines recommend that priests hand out pre-packaged communion wafers.

Baker's ban on in-person services was starting to heat up recently. A pastor in Worcester last week sued Baker and Worcester city officials after he was fined for holding services with more than 10 people. Worcester has agreed to stop handing out those fines.