Staying safe this Eid Al-Adha in Hertfordshire

Many mosques have now reopened and are Covid-19 secure, for more details about these click here.

These changes, put in place to make sure that everyone can keep safe, means fewer people can attend than normally would.

If you decide to visit one of the many mosques which have opened for prayer and communal worship, follow the guidance - for example, using booking systems and signing in with NHS Test & Trace, changes to access routes or staggered entries.

Alternatively, some faith leaders continue to use digital tools to bring worshippers together for prayers and sermons, and the council is encouraging people use these services where possible to celebrate Eid-Al-Adha safely.

Tim Hutchings, Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Prevention, said: "I would like to thank everyone for all you have done over the last few months to help us fight the spread of Covid-19.

"I appreciate that normally you would be celebrating this special time in different circumstances and in ways not possible at the moment. I hope you can do so again soon.

“However, in the meantime, it is vitally important to continue to keep your distance from those people you don’t live with, wash your hands more frequently, wear a face covering where required, and get tested if you have coronavirus symptoms.”

Symptoms of coronavirus include a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. If you have any of these, please get a test immediately and isolate at home.

You should not invite anyone to your home, go to other people’s homes or a mosque, and you should not prepare food for others.

Booking a test is quick and easy, and the testing centres available for the next day can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus. You should have your test done as soon as possible after your symptoms first develop.

Anyone who needs additional help to book a test, or who doesn’t have access to the internet, can phone 119 between 7am and 11pm, or 18001 0300 303 2713 if you have hearing or speech difficulties.

This call centre can also provide information about the testing process and what to do once you have your result.

Drive-through testing sites are now open to everyone living or working in Hertfordshire – with testing available every day of the week.

Results are now returned in less than 24 hours in many cases. People who don’t have access to a car or who are too ill to drive can order a test kit to be posted to their home.