Belgian Muslim Authority Announces Updated COVID-19 Funeral Guidelines

Since Monday, March 8, 2021, a maximum of 50 people (children under twelve years of age not included) are allowed to attend funerals in the spaces of the buildings provided for this purpose and in the cemeteries, in accordance with the ministerial decree published on Saturday, March 6, 2021, the EMB said in a statement, specifying that during these activities, the barrier gestures mentioned in the protocol must be respected.

These minimum rules are: the operator or organizer informs the participants and staff in a timely and clearly visible manner of the preventive measures in force and provides appropriate training to the staff; a distance of 1.5 meters is guaranteed between each person and only one person is allowed per 10 m²; covering the mouth and nose with a mask is mandatory and the wearing of other personal protective equipment is strongly recommended at all times; the operator or organizer provides the staff and participants with the necessary products for hand hygiene; the operator or organizer takes the necessary hygiene measures to regularly disinfect the establishment and the equipment used.

Similarly, the activity must be organized in such a way as to avoid gatherings and to allow social distancing rules to be respected, in particular with regard to people waiting outside the establishment or buildings, if necessary in accordance with the instructions of the competent authority. Physical contacts between people are prohibited, except between members of the same household. Physical contacts of objects by several people are also prohibited.

The Muslim organization states that no other easing measure has been decreed. The number of people authorized to access the mosque is still limited to 15 and all other collective activities remain suspended: the Friday prayer, conferences, etc., the statement said. The EMB and the representative bodies of the other recognized faiths continue the dialogue with the authorities, in order to allow a larger number of believers to be present in places of worship, the same source continues. The Muslim organization also calls on the Muslim population to continue to scrupulously respect all the decisions issued by the authorities in this period to preserve public health.