COVID-19 Is Not A Reason For Acehnese To Postpone Marriage

Ilustrasi pernikahan (Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)

ACEH - The number of marriages in Aceh, during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not decreased. In fact, the number of marriages in Aceh remains high even though the number of COVID-19 spread since last March is even more dire. Reported from Antara, Tuesday, September 8, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) Aceh Province said that the number of marriages in the local area remains high. Head of the Islamic Affairs Division (Urais) of the Aceh Ministry of Religion Marzuki in Banda Aceh, Tuesday, said that COVID-19 did not affect marriages in Aceh. The proof, the number of marriages every month remains normal. "This depends on the region, if in urban areas including Aceh Besar it is increasing and not much different from before the corona virus," said Marzuki. But what is different is clear about the procedures for marriage. Marriage procedures are different from normal habits before the pandemic by paying more attention to health protocols as an effort to anticipate the transmission of COVID-19. "We have a circular from the Indonesian Ministry of Religion so that health protocols are strictly applied when registering and during marriage contracts," he said. In the first COVID-19 case in Aceh in March, the number of marriages in Aceh that month reached 4,098. Then it dropped to 2,164 in April, then 232 in May, up again to 5,664 marriages in June and 3,249 marriages in July. Marzuki said that so far the implementation of health protocols has been well followed by prospective brides and brides' families who come during the marriage contract. at the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) and outside the KUA. "We give understanding and thank God that the community responds to our calls, because that is the influence of the media and we are initially heavy, after we continue to socialize and we are committed to it, the community understands it," said Marzuki. According to him, marriage services were also not interrupted during the outbreak, because the KUA remains disciplined in implementing health protocols, both during marriage registration and the marriage process and the number of guests attending is also limited. To anticipate the spread of the corona virus outbreak in the KUA, the Aceh Ministry of Religion has also distributed in 2020. 274 sink units, 5,263 masks and 9,900 gloves to all KUA units in Tanah Rencong area.