Lest you’re not aware, the Grace Assembly of God church cluster is the biggest COVID-19 cluster in Singapore with 22 confirmed cases.
As such, they suspended all activities and services at both their branches on 12 February for two weeks.
It has already been a week and a half, and they will be reopening their doors and resuming operations at both their Bukit Batok and Tanglin branches next Wednesday, 26 February.
Services are expected to resume starting next Saturday, 29 February.
COVID-19 Concerns
Of course, the main question everyone would be asking is, “is it really safe to return to a place that is known to be Singapore’s largest COVID-19 cluster?”
Well, a Grace Assembly of God church representative said during an interview with The Straits Times, “We want to assure them the church is doing what is necessary to ensure our premises are safe for their return.”
The Straits Times also confirmed in their article that major disinfecting and cleaning of common areas have been conducted a lot of times in an attempt to ensure that it is a safe environment.
Churchgoers are also urged to continue maintaining proper hygiene and to avoid engaging in handshakes for greetings.
Super Spreading Of Virus
The Grace Assembly of God church has more than 4,000 members, and over 70 church employees were issued quarantine orders that require them to isolate themselves either at home or other suitable facilities.
Experts have said that those that congregate in large groups for a considerable period of time will be at a higher risk of being infected by COVID-19.
The environmental conditions of churches like the air-conditioned spaces with poor ventilation, as well as having many people congregated together in close proximity at the same time, also help the coronavirus to continue spreading.
Senior Pastor Recovers
The senior pastor of the church, Wilson Teo, was also found to be infected with COVID-19.
However, he has been reported to be one of those to have made a full recovery and he was discharged from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on Thursday afternoon, 20 February.
He said in an interview with The Straits Times, “I was told to pack my belongings and to get ready for discharge. Soon, the glass doors opened and I met the nurses and doctors at their station, and they congratulated me on my recovery.”
He also added, “While I might have been in isolation, I did not feel lonely because I knew many people were praying for me and I received many words and messages of encouragement. I missed my family, friends, and of course, my freedom. But I knew it’s a necessity and it was only temporal.”
We wish them all the best and hope that there will not be any increase in the number of COVID-19 cases again.
