Mosques, worship centres asked to disseminate COVID-19 messages

The government has asked the authorities of the country’s mosques and other places of worship to disseminate messages on coronavirus regularly through loudspeakers aiming to make people aware of the deadly virus.

The religious affairs ministry issued an emergency notification today, urging khatibs, imams and managing committees of the mosques and religious leaders of other places of worship to take necessary measures to this end and help contain the spread of coronavirus.

Local administrations, Islamic Foundation, Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, Buddhist Religious Welfare Trust, Christian Religious Welfare Trust and the managing committees of mosques and other places of worship have been requested to announce 12 instructions regularly through loudspeakers from their respective religious centres.

The instructions included washing hands for 20 seconds, using masks while going outside, maintaining social distance at all levels, taking nutritious food, communicating with doctors once COVID-19 symptoms are found, showing humane attitudes to COVID-19 patients, doing exercise regularly, not paying heed to rumours and following government’s instructions and health guidelines.

Local administrations have been asked to disseminate the emergency notification considering the public interest.