Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque will hold a Friday prayer for first time since March, but only in the presence of the mosque's imams and staff and without the attendance of worshipers, Egypt's top Sunni Muslim institution said.

Al-Azhar added that tomorrow's sermon will be delivered by well-known cleric Ahmed Omar Hashem, a member of Al-Azhar's senior scholars, on "Islam in the face of calamities."

The sermon will be aired on TV and social media platforms, the statement noted.

All congregational prayers have been suspended in Egypt since March as a preventive measure against the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the weekly prayer was performed at Cairo's Al-Sayyida Nafisa Mosque as the country's endowments ministry decided to resume holding Friday prayers every week at one mosque in the presence of only 20 worshipers.

The move comes as a preliminary step before issuing a final say on the gradual reopening of houses of worship.

The ministry said last week it will discuss the issue with the health ministry and cabinet's coronavirus committee in the second half of June.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said earlier that the reopening of mosques and churches will be considered after mid-June.

Egypt has started to ease some restrictive coronavirus measures as the country learns to live with the pandemic.