BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 5 May 2020:
Brunei’s religious affairs minister yesterday announced that mosques will reopen to Friday prayer congregants on May 29, nearly 10 weeks after places of worship were shut to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Datuk Paduka Seri Badaruddin Othman announced the relaxation only applies for mosques, surau and prayer halls to open for Friday prayers.
Subject to how health safety measures are implemented when mosques reopen – such as physical distancing and limiting the number of worshippers at each mosque or surau – he said leeway for prayers at other set times are subject to further evaluation.
The minister said state broadcaster Radio Televisyen Brunei will air a video that provides safety guidelines to mosque congregants. Group Hari Raya Aidilfitri prayers will be allowed at home as long as worshippers adhere to the health ministry’s safety guidelines, he added.
Brunei has reported no new Covid-19 since April 19 and its tally remains at 138 cases and one fatality. Of the seven still being treated at the National Isolation Center, two remain in critical condition and needing ventilator aid while the others are reportedly stable.
Easing has already begun on Sunday in Thailand, which yesterday reported 18 new Covid-19 cases – all migrants at an immigration detention centre in the southern province of Songkhla – bringing the cumulative figure to 2,987 cases.
Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said the latest cases comprised 17 females aged between 13 and 22 and a 10-year-old boy who were detained at the Sadao Immigration Detention Centre. He said the COVID-19 death toll stands at 54.
The death toll due to Covid-19 in Indonesia continues to rise to 864, with almost half of it were reported in Jakarta.
The Indonesian government spokesman on Covid-19, Achmad Yurianto said 19 deaths occurred within the past 24 hours, 10 of which were in Jakarta.
As at noon, the number of positive cases has risen to 11,587 with 349 new cases, while 24,020 patients still under surveillance for Covid-19.
The Jakarta province has so far recorded the highest number of deaths at 408, followed by East Java (117), CentraLl Java (86) and other provinces.
Singapore confirmed an additional 573 positive cases of Covid-19, of which only five are Singaporeans or permanent residents.
The Ministry of Health attributed the “vast majority” of the cases to foreign workers staying at dormitories. With the new cases, the republic’s tally now stands at 18,778.
– Bernama