Nour Mosque in Cairo closes after violating coronavirus precautions

  • Date: 29-Dec-2020
  • Source: Ahram
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:Egypt
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Nour Mosque in Cairo closes after violating coronavirus precautions

Cairo's well-known El-Nour mosque has been ordered to close for two weeks as a result of congregants' non-compliance with coronavirus precautions, that have been mandatory since mosques reopened in July.

Egyptian Endowment Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa announced the decision shortly after performing the Dhuhr (noon) prayer at the mosque.

A number of worshipers were seen praying inside the mosque without wearing facemasks and bringing their own personal mat, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the endowment ministry, which is responsible for administering mosques nationwide.

No prayers will be allowed inside or outside the mosque for two weeks, with the mosque's imams and staff fined ten days from their monthly payment, the statement noted.

The ministry, the statement added, decided to refer the district inspector and the head of the directorate to which the mosque is affiliated, to an internal investigation for "failure to perform their duties".

The decision is the first since Egypt entered the second wave of coronavirus, with rising infections and death tolls reported since Thursday.

A host of similar decisions were taken during the first wave of the pandemic, including the closure of Cairo's iconic Al-Hussein mosque in July as some prayer-goers at