Greek Churches Open with Health Safety Measures

Churches in Greece opened their doors to the faithful for Divine Liturgy on Sunday, after being closed for two months because of the coronavirus threat.
However, each church’s operation will be accompanied by the observance of the required health protection measures, the first being that all churches should provide antiseptic to attendees before they enter the church and sanitize surfaces frequently and meticulously.
According to the measures set by the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, the attendance of the faithful in the places of worship is on the conditions set by the special scientific committee for the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to ensure the safety of the public.
The measures that will apply at least until June 5 require that the maximum number of people allowed will be determined by the ratio of one person per 10 sq.m. (107.64 sq. ft.) So, for example, in a space of ​​worship of 300 sq.m. (3.229 sq. ft.), the maximum number of people allowed will be 30.
In addition, attendees should keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.92 ft) from each other. For places of worship that are more than 500 sq.m (5.380 sq.ft.), the corresponding maximum number of people allowed is 50.
For worshippers, it is recommended that they use masks.
More specifically, as of Sunday, there is a controlled waiting system for worshipers at church entrances.
The person who controls the flow of worshippers at each entrance will be wearing a mask and gloves and observe that the number of people allowed should be in accordance with the one person per 10 sq.m. regulation.
The loudspeakers outside each church will be on during the hours of the Divine Liturgy, while there will be more Divine Liturgies where possible.
Natural ventilation in all churches is mandatory.
The Holy Mysteries should be performed inside the church only, while no sacraments will be performed in private churches.