The Mozambican government has ordered that the number of mourners at funerals should not exceed 20 people and no more than 10 for those participating in the final rites for victims of the coronavirus pandemic, a cabinet minister announced on Thursday.
“For both cases, death from other causes or COVID-19, all participants must wear protective masks,” Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Religious Affairs Minister Helena Kida told journalists in the capital Maputo.
She added that mourners would be expected to maintain a minimum distance of one-and-half metres between each other as part of measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
The measures are part of regulations introduced to control human contact during a 30-day state of emergency decreed by President Filipe Nyusi with effect from Wednesday.
In another development, Kida explained that public and private institutions would continue to operation but would be expected to observe the preventive measures of COVID-19, especially with regard to the gathering of people, which should not exceed 20, “except for urgent situations in the functioning of the State”
As long as the situation persists, the actual workforce must be reduced to an amount of one third, she said.
The reduction of staff in this period, according to Kida, should not be confused with dismissal from work, so institutions should adopt mechanisms that ensure the continuation of work at home, whenever possible.
“This measure does not cover public officials who hold positions of direction, leadership and trust”, she stressed.
Regarding the civil registration sector, Kida said that the identity card, identification document of the foreign resident, entry of the import order for cars, driving license and passport, even if expired, would remain valid for up to four months.
Mozambique currently has 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
CM/jn/APA