Wedding guests reduced to 50, food only for nuclear family: inter-faith council

The number of wedding guests allowed to attend the ceremony has now been reduced to 50 after the inter-faith council raised concern over the rising number of COVID-19 infections in Kenya.

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Rev. Connie Kivuti, the Vice Chairperson of the council, the decision follows due deliberations with the Ministry of Health.

“The number of those attending should strictly be 50. Food is only served to the nuclear family,” she said on Thursday.

The council further reiterated that all the current requirements of hand washing or sanitization stations in the compound, seating at 1.5m social distance and where possible temperature checks will be in force.

For funerals, the number of those attending remains 100 and those allowed at the graveside are 15 people.

The duration of the burial ceremony is also not to exceed 100 and no food is allowed.

“”We are asking the 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,” Rev. Kivuti said adding that the current Phase on Reopening In-Person Worship will begin on Friday, November 27, 2020.

Phase One guidelines for places of worship remain as follows: time allocated is strictly 90 minutes; age of congregants allowed is 6-65 years; wearing face masks at all times; hand washing before and after worship as well as keeping social distance.

The Council said use of thermal guns for temperature checks is highly encouraged.

Rev. Kivuti cited the National Response Committee update that reported COVID-19 positivity rate fluctuation of between 13-20% in the last one month.

She said the major criteria that determined the shifting in the council’s guidelines were the number of new cases, daily deaths and other indicators like the positivity rate.

The inter-faith council has also urged the Health Ministry, county governments and health workers to resolve the differences that may hinder service provision to Kenyans and at the same promote the well-being and protection of all health workers.