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Indonesia restricts mass prayers, bans public celebrations for Idul Adha
The country is treading a fine line between avoiding extreme spread of the virus over the upcoming Islamic holidays and allowing Muslims to celebrate Idul Adha.
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A woman sells ketupat, traditional rice cakes made with rice stuffed inside a pouch of woven palm leaves which are then cooked and often served during festive occasions, ahead of Idul Adha celebrations at a market in Banda Aceh on July 18, 2021. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
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tricken by the soaring infections and deaths that made the country Asia’s new coronavirus epicenter, Indonesia is treading a fine line between avoiding extreme spread of the virus over the upcoming Islamic holidays and allowing Muslims to celebrate Idul Adha.
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Quomas has called on people to pray at home during Idul Adha to prevent the virus from spreading, as many fear the Islamic celebration could spark another explosion of cases.
“When the government puts out regulations that protect the people, they are mandatory,” he told a press briefing on Friday.
High mobility and religious gatherings around the Idul Fitri holidays in May were partly blamed for igniting the outbreak. The country reported a nearly fivefold jump following Idul Fitri, the national COVID-19 task force said on Saturday.
Fueled by the spread of the more infectious Delta variant, Indonesia has seen its healthcare system strained, with oxygen supplies running low, and people dying outside hospitals unable to receive medical attention.
Read also: Indonesia braces for worst-case coronavirus scenario
In its latest two circulars, issued and published on July 2, a day before the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) were put in place, the Religious Affairs Ministry bans public Idul Adha celebrations in areas deemed to be at high risk of COVID-19 infections in and outside Java.
