MASKS are now mandatory once again in places of worship in England, after the Government tightened its response to the threat of the omicron Covid variant, its so-called “Plan B”.

The publication of the new regulations on Thursday confirmed that communal worship is exempt from the requirement to ask for Covid passes, which, from next Wednesday, will apply to indoor venues with a capacity of more than 500 unseated people. Weddings and funerals are also exempt, though there is less clarity about concerts and any other unseated events.

Mask-wearing in church, however, has become mandatory until further notice, unless an individual falls into an exempt category, such as a child under 11 or someone with a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability.

Masks may legally be removed once in church, however, if leading a service or reading. The regulations also state that face coverings may be removed “when it is reasonably necessary . . . to sing including singing as part of a choir, or during a service or rehearsal, or for performance”.

By and large, the guidance continues to place responsibility for decision-making on individual incumbents. “Incumbents should feel empowered to make locally appropriate decisions, including taking different approaches to different types of services and events where the risks may vary.”

This, however, does not extend to asking congregants or visitors to prove that they have been vaccinated. This is not a requirement, the guidance says, “nor is it appropriate. . . We do not know by how much the vaccine stops coronavirus from spreading.”