COVID-19 Red Zone, Palembang Grand Mosque Limit Jemaah Salat Eid Only 1,000 People

Illustration - Palembang Residents perform Salat Id 1 Syawal 1440 Hijriah in the center of Palembang City, South Sumatra 2019 (Photo: ANTARA)

PALEMBANG - The Administrator of The Great Mosque of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin Jayowikramo Palembang, South Sumatra limits the congregation of Eid al-Fitr 1442 Hijri Prayer to only 1,000 people or less than 30 percent of the total capacity of the mosque.

Chairman of the Palembang Grand Mosque Foundation Kgs Ahmad Sarnubi said, the manager only accommodates worshippers inside the mosque so that there is no prayer in the field that runs up to the Ampera Bridge as the previous year.

"Police personnel of Ilir Barat I will stand guard outside the mosque preventing people from praying in the street", he said in Palembang reported by Antara, Wednesday, May 12.

The implementation of Salat Eid in Palembang Grand Mosque can reach 10,000 people under normal conditions, but this time the mosque administrator limited the number of people because Palembang city is in the red zone of COVID-19 transmission.

The Great Mosque of Palembang previously said not to hold Salat Id. However, the latest data Health Center Palembang recorded Village 19 Ilir which became the location of the mosque status of the yellow zone so that it is allowed to hold Eid Prayer by applying strict health protocols.

Nevertheless, Sarnubi still urged the residents of 19 Ilir and 22 Ilir who are the majority of Eid prayers in Palembang Grand Mosque not to come to the mosque because of the limited number of people.

"We also remind residents from the red and orange zone villages not to pray Eid at the Grand Mosque", he said.

People who pray Eid are also obliged to comply with health protocols and bring their own worship equipment from home. It does not tolerate citizens who do not apply health protocols.

On Eid al-Fitr last year the Great Mosque of Palembang did not hold Eid prayers because the trend of COVID-19 cases is increasing. The new administrator held Eid prayer during Eid al-Adha that year by limiting only 3,000 people.