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Safety Principles

1. IAFL shall follow Guidelines for Religious and Funeral Services as published by the office of the Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo

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2. Copy of the guidelines can be accessed at this link

 

3. IAFL shall abide by federal, state, and local authorities’ orders pertaining to COVID-19 public health emergency response

 

In accordance with the guidelines referenced above, IAFL will implement measures to ensure safety of our Imam, attendees, Board and Council members, and visitors. 

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Image courtsey: https://cdc.gov

These are temporary measures until the COVID-19 health situation subsides; or, there is updated guidance from authorities. 

Limited Services at Reopening

  • Sunday School will not resume  

  • Sunday morning brothers’ halaqa will not resume as part of initial reopening 

  • Friday prayer may result in capacity being reached in the main prayer hall. When that happens, basement will be used for overflow.  

Sign-in Sheet

1. Prayer Hall sign-in: 

  • Attendees will have to sign in time so we have a log for contact tracing purposes.  

  • Attendees will also be asked to respond to a question asking them if they are experiencing any Corona virus symptoms. 

  • We will use the symptoms sheet published by the CDC and found here  

Physical Distancing

2. Prayer Hall: 

  • Alternate rows in the prayer hall will be used for prayers. In this pattern, the first row will not be used for prayer but the second row will be. This pattern will repeat from the front of the musallah to the back.  

  • Worshippers will have to bring their own prayer mat to pray on. Praying directly on the musallah carpet will be disallowed. 

  • Each row used for prayer will have designated and marked prayer spots. Each prayer spot will be six feet apart from the next one.  

  • Each prayer row will have maximum four prayer spots. 

  • See illustration below as an example 

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4. Shoe rack 

  • Only the edge seats will be open. The middle seat will not be utilized. 

 

5. Restrooms and Wudu Areas: 

  • There are three stalls each in men’s and women’s restroom. The middle stall will be temporarily locked. Only the corner stalls will be open for use. 

  • Likewise, the middle sink and hand-washing station will not be used. Only the edge sinks will be used.  

  • For wudu areas, attendees will be encouraged to perform wudu prior to coming to the masjid. Use wudu areas at the masjid only if absolutely necessary. 

    • Only two wudu stations will be open in men’s and women’s wudu room. These will be the edge wudu stations. All wudu stations in the middle will be temporarily closed for use. 

6. Foyer: 

  • No congregating in the foyer. 

  • All attendees/visitors only use the foyer to enter/exit the prayer area.  

Protective Equipment

  1. IAFL workers will be provided with face masks free of cost.  

  2. Face masks are required to be worn by Imam, except while seated and maintaining a 6-foot distance from others.  

  3. Attendees are also required to have a face covering (acceptable face covering include, but not limited to, cloth, face mask, bandana, face shield etc), except while seated and maintaining a 6-foot distance from others. 

  4. In the interest of everyone’s health and safety, attendees arriving at the masjid without appropriate face covering may be asked to leave.  

Communication

  1. Appropriate signs will be placed in the foyer and the hallways leading to the prayer hall to remind visitors and attendees to adhere to social distancing and hygiene rules. 

  2. We will use communication material from CDC.

  3. IAFL’s website will be updated with safety plan information. 

  4. Safety plan will also be communicated to the IAFL community via email.  

  5. IAFL will also use various WhatsApp groups to communicate with our members. WhatsApp will also be used to provide safety plan information. 

Screening

  1. The health screening consists of responding Yes or No to the symptoms question described above. 

  2. If symptoms are present, then attendee must leave IAFL premises and take appropriate health response actions. 

  3. In the event of a positive case, masjid shall be closed for cleanup as per health agency guidelines. IAFL will also communicate to our members via email, notify local health department, and assist in contact tracing efforts by the authorities. 

  4. Chemung County Health Department: (607) 737-2028 

Hygiene 

  1. Hand sanitizers will be placed at the beginning of each of the hallways leading to the prayer halls. 

  2. We will prohibit hand shaking and other physical contact for attendees. 

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