Islamic Centre of Cambridge reopens mosque as places of worship resume service

The Islamic Centre of Cambridge will welcome people for Friday prayersas the province allows places of worship to reopen.

Starting today, all places of worship in Ontario can reopen with physical distancing measures in place, and with attendance capped at 30 per cent of a building's capacity.

People in all parts of the province can also gather in groups of 10 up from groups of five, which has been the rule through much of the pandemic.

Mohammad Darr, vice-chair of the Islamic centre's board of directors, said today is a day that many in the community have been looking forward to.

"Mosque is like your heart . This is the place that you go, and you pray, you feel at peace and comfortable," said Darr, who noted he's received many calls from people looking for further details about the reopening plan.

"People are excited, we are very happy."

Careful precautions will be in place, he said. For example:

• Entrance will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Attendees must wear a mask at all times and bring their own prayer mats.
• Children under 18 won't be allowed, for the time being.
• Hands should be sanitized when entering and leaving.

Further details about rules are available on the Islamic centre's website.