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Age Limit for Public Worship Revised in Kenya amid Surge in Reported COVID-19 Cases

The leadership of the Catholic Archbishop-led Interfaith Council in Kenya has, among other guidelines, revised the ages of congregants allowed to participate in public worship in the East African nation. 

In a Thursday, November 26 statement signed by the Vice Chairperson of the Council, Rev. Connie Kivuti, the members say the “number of new cases, the number of daily deaths and other indicators like the positivity rate” have influenced the revision of the guidelines.

“In this Phase for in-person worship… Age limit will be over six years and under 65years,” the religious leaders say. 

Those between ages six and 65 had been allowed to congregate for in-person worship in August when members of the council revised the age limit from 13-58 years.

In their latest directives that take effect November 27, the 16-member Council also directs that “no other meetings or services within the places except worship services.” 

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The members of the Interfaith Council retain the duration of worship to “strictly 90 minutes.” 

In the November 26 statement, the religious leaders also review the number of people attending funerals to 100 “with only 15 allowed at the graveside.”

“Burials must be conducted within one hour and no food shall be served in the funerals,” they say.

They call on religious leaders to “cooperate more closely with the national government administrators and security personnel at the local level to strictly enforce guidelines on funerals.”

“We have reached an agreement with the Ministry of Interior and local administrators have been informed that they must control the number and conduct of funerals,” they say. 

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For weddings, the number of attendants should be “strictly 50”, the members of the Archbishop Anthony Muheria-led Interfaith Council say, adding that food should be served “only to the nucleus family.”

Kenya has recorded 80,102 cases of the coronavirus including 1,427 deaths and 53,526 recoveries. 

The members of Kenya’s Inter-faith Council express their gratitude to health workers who continue to “work tirelessly in fighting this pandemic.”

“We thank God for keeping, protecting and watching over us as a country despite the rising numbers,” they say. 

In their November 26 message, the Inter-faith Council members express gratitude to “Almighty God for watching over and healing our Chairman Archbishop Anthony Muheria who is recovering from an infection with the virus.”

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Last week, Archbishop Muheria announced that he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and appealed for prayers from a Nairobi-based hospital where he said he was on oxygen support.

In a video shared on WhatsApp November 26, the Archbishop of Kenya’s Nyeri Archdiocese sent a message of appreciation to the people of God in the country, thanking them for journeying with him in prayers as he continues to battle COVID-19. 

In the video recording, Archbishop Muheria says that he is on the road to recovery from the coronavirus and that he will need some more time “to recover and regain strength.”

The member of Opus Dei urges the people of God under his pastoral care in Nyeri Archdiocese to “take charge” in their various responsibilities while he continues to recuperate out of hospital in Nairobi.

“I am sending this video so that you can see my face, hear my voice and see that I am improving step by step,” he says in the video recording in which he finally imparts blessings saying, “May the Almighty Father bless you all in the name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

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