‘Avoid mass gatherings this Ramadan’

Masked heroes: Men riding past a mural thanking medical workers tackling the coronavirus pandemic at a road in Depok, south of Jakarta. The Health Ministry yesterday approved the central government’s request to further impose large-scale social restrictions on the capital. See next page. — Reuters

The country’s Religious Affairs Ministry has issued prayer and worship guidelines for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, asking Muslims not to hold joint breaking fast gatherings and pray at home instead, as part of the country’s physical distancing policy to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Ramadan, expected to start on April 23 and end on May 23, traditionally includes gatherings, such as breaking-of-the-fast dinners known as iftar and nightly prayers known as tarawih, usually done at mosques.