Religious Communities Are Asked To Immediately Prepare Prayer Protocols In The Middle Of The COVID-19 Pagebluk

Coordinating Minister for PMK, Muhadjir Effendy. (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy asked religious organizations or communities to immediately make standard procedures for activities in places of worship in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This standard, he said, must be obeyed by the people so that worship activities in places of worship can proceed according to their needs.

"The importance of each community in making technical and detailed SOPs, both for religious and social activities. The Ministry of Religion will provide general guidance but for detailed matters, the management knows," Muhadjir said in his quoted written statement. Wednesday, June 3.

The guideline in question is the Circular of the Minister of Religion Number 15 of 2020 concerning Guidelines for Religious Activities in Houses of Worship to Avoid the Spread of Covid-19 which contains standard operational procedures in places of worship such as maintaining distance, providing a place to wash hands or hand sanitizers, and checking. body temperature for the congregation.

In addition, in this regulation, houses of worship must ensure that the implementation of worship activities is held in an area or environment that is safe from COVID-19, as well as submit a safe certificate from the local task force.

To ensure that the community and administrators of places of worship understand these guidelines, Muhadjir asked related parties to conduct socialization.

"So later the licensing will be carried out to ensure that the health protocol has been implemented or is ready to be implemented in places of worship and other religious activities," he said.

The former Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) added that the socialization process needed to be done in easy language so that the community and administrators of places of worship were not confused.

He also assessed that related parties need to create a complaint area which aims to report any violations and deviations related to permits to open houses of worship.

During normal time, Muhadjir hopes that houses of worship can apply health protocols properly. Because, according to him, a house of worship must be an example for other sectors of life amid the new normality.

"Houses of worship must be an example of implementing health standard operating procedures and protocols in order to increase productivity and spiritual life and be safe from the threat of COVID-19," Muhadjir said.

Previously, the Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi had issued a circular on the Guidelines for the Implementation of Religious Activities in Houses of Worship. In this circular, a number of rules of worship in places of worship are in such a way as to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

There are 11 obligations that must be implemented in every house of worship without exception. One of them is to shorten the time for religious activities in places of worship. "Shorten the time of worship without reducing the provisions for the perfection of worship," said Fachrul when reading the 11 obligations of religious houses during the new norms which were broadcast on BNPB YouTube, Saturday, May 30.

In addition, the person in charge of places of worship or management is also obliged to supervise and implement the application of health protocols by the community, periodically disinfect places of worship, limit the number of doors or exits to facilitate the implementation and supervision of health protocols, and must provide hand washing facilities complete with water and soap and hand sanitizer at the door of the house of worship.

Not only that, they also have to make a statement letter stating that they are ready to implement the prescribed health protocols.

"The manager or person in charge of places of worship is obliged to provide a temperature checking device at the entrance for all users of places of worship. If a user of a house of worship is found with a temperature above 37.5 degrees during two inspections with a distance of five minutes, they are not allowed to enter the house of worship," he stressed.

Then, administrators of places of worship must apply distance restrictions by placing special marks on the floor or chairs with a minimum distance of one meter. They also have to make arrangements for the number of congregations and users of places of worship who gather at the same time. The goal is to make efforts to keep your distance easy.

"Managers or people in charge of places of worship are obliged to post an appeal for the implementation of health protocols in the area of places of worship in an easily visible place," said Fachrul.

For people who come from outside the house of worship, the manager must apply a special health protocol for them.

As for socio-religious activities such as marriage contracts and marriages, Fachrul continued, a number of rules that must be followed are to ensure that all those present are healthy and negative for COVID-19 and that meetings are held in the minimum possible time.

"And limit the number of participants who attend a maximum of 20 percent of the room capacity and no more than 30 people," he said.

Who may worship in a house of worship in the new normal?

Minister of Religion Fachrul explained the criteria for people to be allowed to worship in places of worship in the midst of new norms later. First, the people must be in a healthy condition. Furthermore, they must also worship in a place of worship that already has a COVID-19 safe certificate from the authorities.

"(The people) use masks or face masks since leaving the house and while they are in the area of the house of worship," said Fachrul.

Then, those who carry out religious activities in places of worship must be sure to wash their hands frequently with soap or hand sanitizer. The congregation must also obey the rules of maintaining a safe distance and not making physical contact such as shaking hands or hugging.

"Avoiding staying for a long time in a house of worship or gathering in the area of a place of worship other than for the purpose of compulsory worship," he said.

Furthermore, he also prohibits children or elderly people who are vulnerable to high exposure to worship in places of worship in order to prevent the risk of contracting this virus. He also asked all people in places of worship to care for the implementation of health protocols in places of worship according to the provisions.

The places of worship that are allowed to carry out religious activities are those that show a transmission rate (Ro) and a supporting Effective Reproduction Number or Rt number as well as an area that is confirmed to be free of COVID-19.

Supporting this fact, said the Minister of Religion, could be obtained from the Covid-19 Prone House of Worship Certificate from the Chairperson of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling for Provinces and districts, cities, sub-districts according to the level of the house of worship in question.

This letter is also not only issued directly but will also be coordinated first with Forkompida and religious councils and related agencies in their respective regions.

"This certificate will be revoked if in its development there are cases of transmission in the place of worship or there is disobedience to the applicable protocol," he concluded.