Mosque and musalla (prayer room) managers must set up a health protocol monitoring task force, in view of the increase in religious activities during Ramadan, spokesperson for the COVID-19 handling task force, Wiku Adisasmito, said.
“The COVID-19 Handling Task Force still has rules; every public facility, including places of worship such as mosques and musallas, must have a health protocol task force,” he stated during an FMB9 online discussion on worship and food preparation during Ramadan, which was accessed from here on Monday.
The increase in prayer activities in mosques and musallas during Ramadan must be followed with strict health protocols, he added. Otherwise, COVID-19 transmission could become a threat to people.
Mosque managers must conduct body temperature checks and urge people to continue to wear masks and maintain a safe distance, he said.
That way, virus transmission can be prevented, and people can carry out worship activities well during Ramadan, he added.
The government has eased a number of restrictions for Ramadan due to the controlled rate of COVID-19 transmission. The relaxations include permission for people to undertake Eid mudik (exodus), with the condition that they have completed primary vaccinations or have received the booster dose; travel without PCR test; and carry out various religious activities.
However, the easing of restrictions must be balanced with the implementation of strict health protocols.
The community must make health protocol compliance a shared responsibility. Efforts to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission cannot be undertaken by the government alone; collective awareness is needed in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the spokesperson expounded.
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of March 28, 2022, Indonesia has recorded a total of 5,995,876 COVID-19 cases, 5,702,163 recoveries, and 154,570 deaths.
Source: Antara News