Ramadan 2021; Mosques Asked to Establish Covid-19 Team

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Provincial Government has asked each mosque and place of worship to establish an internal Covid-19 task force to oversee the implementation of health protocols during Ramadan.

“Because a number of Ramadan activities have the potential to attract crowds, we hope that mosques and places of worship will form a health protocol monitoring team,” said the city’s Education and Mental Spiritual Bureau Head, Muhammad Zen, on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. 

He said that the government did not bar religious activities during the holy month despite the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the city administration will regulate the implementation of health protocols to prevent virus transmission.

Among the protocols are limited attendance in mosques to 50 percent of the total capacity, the mandatory wearing of face masks and maintaining distance for congregations and mosque management, and provision of handwashing stations.

“All religious activities are allowed under health protocols because the pandemic is still ongoing,” he added.

Zen outlined that there are 10 Ramadan activities that potentially attract crowds leading to Covid-19 spread, viz. joint sahur (predawn meal), Friday prayer, face-to-face religious lectures and studies, breaking-the-fast gathering or bukber, tarawih prayer (Ramadan evening prayer), the commemoration of Nuzulul Quran, I’tikaf, zakat payment and distribution, Malam Takbir (eve of Eid al-Fitr), and Eid prayer.

Read: Jakarta Formulating Rules on Ramadan Prayers during Pandemic

IMAM HAMDI