COVID19: WHO issues guidelines for safe Ramadhan practices
World Health Organisation has issued guidelines for safe Ramadhan practices in view of the looming pandemic of COVID-19.
In a statement, WHO said that cancelling social and religious gatherings should be seriously considered.
WHO, therefore has recommended that any decision to restrict, modify, postpone, cancel, or proceed with holding a mass gathering should be based on a standardized risk assessment exercise.
“If cancelling social and religious gatherings, where possible, virtual alternatives using platforms such as television, radio, digital, and social media can be used instead. If Ramadan gatherings are allowed to proceed, measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission should be implemented.”
The World Health Body said that national health authorities should be considered the primary source of information and advice regarding physical distancing and other measures related to COVID-19 in the context of Ramadan. Compliance with these established measures should be assured. “Religious leaders should be involved early in decision making, so that they can be actively engaged in communicating any decision affecting events connected with Ramadan.”
Mitigation measures for physical gatherings
The following measures should be applied to any gathering occurring during Ramadan, such as prayers, pilgrimages, and communal meals or banquets.
● Consider holding the event outdoors if possible; otherwise, ensure that the indoor venue has adequate ventilation and air flow
● Shorten the length of the event as much as possible to limit potential exposure
● Give preference to holding smaller services with fewer attendees more often, rather than hosting large gatherings
● Adhere to physical distancing among attendees, both when seated and standing, through creating and assigning fixed places, including when praying, performing wudu (ritual ablutions) in communal washing facilities, as well as in areas dedicated to shoe storage.
● Regulate the number and flow of people entering, attending, and departing from worship spaces, pilgrimage sites, or other venues to ensure safe distancing at all times
● Consider measures to facilitate contact tracing in the event that an ill person is identified among the attendees of the event.
Encourage healthy hygiene
Muslims perform wudu before prayers, which helps maintain healthy hygiene. The following additional measures should be considered:
● Ensure that handwashing facilities are adequately equipped with soap and water and provide alcohol-based hand-rub (at least 70% alcohol) at the entrance to and inside mosques.
● Ensure the availability of disposable tissues and bins with disposable liners and lids, and guarantee the safe disposal of waste.
● Encourage the use of personal prayer rugs to place over carpets.
● Provide visual displays of advice on physical distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and general messages on COVID-19 prevention.
Frequently clean worship spaces, sites, and buildings
● Enforce routine cleaning of venues where people gather before and after each event, using detergents and disinfectants.
● In mosques, keep the premises and wudu facilities clean, and maintain general hygiene and sanitation.
● Frequently clean often-touched objects such as doorknobs, light switches, and stair railings with detergents and disinfectant.
Charity
When the faithful give special attention to those who may be adversely affected while distributing their sadaqat or zakah during this Ramadan, consider the physical distancing measures in place. To avoid the crowded gathering associated with iftar banquets, consider using individual pre-packaged boxes/servings of food. These can be organized by centralized entities and institutions, which should adhere to physical distancing throughout the whole cycle (collecting, packaging, storing and distribution).
Fasting
No studies of fasting and risk of COVID-19 infection have been performed. Healthy people should be able to fast during this Ramadan as in previous years, while COVID-19 patients may consider religious licenses regarding breaking the fast in consultation with their doctors, as they would do with any other disease.
Healthy diet and nutrition
Proper nutrition and hydration are vital during the month of Ramadan. People should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day and drink plenty of water.
Tobacco use is ill-advised under any circumstances, especially during Ramadan and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frequent smokers may already have lung disease, or reduced lung capacity, which greatly increases the risk of serious COVID-19 illness. When smoking cigarettes, the fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) touch the lips, which increases the likelihood of the virus entering the respiratory system. When waterpipes are used, it is likely that mouth pieces and hoses are shared, which also facilitates transmission of the virus.
Despite the different execution in practices this year, it is important to reassure the faithful that they can still reflect, improve, pray, share, and care – all from a healthy distance.
Ensuring that family, friends, and elders are still engaged in light of physical distancing needs to be considered; encouraging alternate and digital platforms for interaction is paramount. Offering special prayers for the sick, alongside messages of hope and comfort, are methods to observe the tenants of Ramadan while maintaining public health.
