TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Bogor Regency Government as well as the Bogor branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has agreed to allow Bogor residents living in green or yellow COVID-19 zones to conduct Eid al-Fitr prayers in neighborhood mosques.

"The Eid Al-Fitr Prayer can be conducted outside of homes by observing the requirements, and in areas where the community is homogeneous and the spread of the virus has been controlled, according to the information from the authorities," said Chief of the Bogor MUI, KH Ahmad Mukri Aji, in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

According to Ahmad, this decision has allowed residents living in 203 Bogor villages categorized to be in the green or yellow COVID-19 zones to conduct prayers at the neighborhood mosques.

On the other hand, the 232 Bogor villages still categorized to be in COVID-19 red zones are required to conduct their prayers at home.

In spite of this, Ahmad stated that communities in green or yellow COVID-19 zones looking to conduct Eid al-Fitr prayers outside of home are still required to implement health protocols and maintain physical distance while praying, as well as encourage residents to carry their own prayer mat and wear face masks.

In addition, Bogor Regent Ade Yasin has further stipulated that the implementation of Eid al-Fitr prayers outside of home is only allowed at the neighborhood unit (RT) and neighborhood association (RW) levels; not at large mosques that could be visited by residents coming from COVID-19 red zones.

“That’s only (allowed) in small neighborhoods. This means that, if we let big mosques on the main roads (conduct Eid prayers), we worry that people outside of the neighborhood will come in there. But, for the small neighborhoods, we can utilize RT and RW working units to limit the entry (to the mosque),” said Ade, who is also chief of the Bogor Regency COVID-19 Task Force.

Information on the list of villages classified as red, yellow or green COVID-19 zones can be accessed through the official website of the Bogor COVID-19 Task Force, http://covid-19.bogorkab.go.id.

ANTARA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)