Prevent Spread Of COVID-19 Through Microdroplets, Government Requests Friday Prayer Sermons To Be Shortened

Coordinating Minister for PMK Muhadjir Effendy (Photo: Website of Kemenko PMK)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy asked the public to be aware of the spread of COVID-19 through microdroplets. One way to do this is by shortening the Friday prayer sermon.

After a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Muhadjir asked the public to be aware of microdroplets that can spread COVID-19. According to him, small particles of saliva can float in the air for about 20 minutes in a closed and poorly ventilated room.

"Microdroplets are small particles as a result of us talking. If the droplets drop, these are microdroplets floating around. This is dangerous, especially in closed spaces, let alone air-conditioned. At least the ability to float is around 20 minutes," Muhadjir said in a press conference which was broadcast regularly. online at the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Monday, July 13.

It is on this basis that the government asks the public not to congregate for a long time in a closed room and the air ventilation is not good enough. "I urge every meeting to be limited, especially those that are closed, so that the microdroplets do not leave the room immediately," he said.

In addition to calling for meetings in closed rooms, Muhadjir also asked for sermons during Friday prayers, prayer readings, and any religious activities in closed rooms to shorten the implementation time.

He gave an example, in a Friday prayer, it turned out that the preacher had contracted COVID-19 without realizing it, and preached for one hour in a closed room, so transmission of COVID-19 through microdroplets is very possible.

"We can imagine how many millions or billions of COVID-19 fly, then people, if they don't wear a mask, can suck it and it becomes the source (of transmission, red) of the microdroplets that were mentioned earlier," he said.

The former Minister of Education and Culture said that the transmission of COVID-19 through microdroplets had also been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"So, in addition to our health protocols, is to avoid crowds of closed spaces where ventilation is not good enough and should not stay in the closed room for long," he explained.

Previously, the spokesperson for handling COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto (Yuri) appealed to the public to be aware of the spread of COVID-19 through microdroplets that spread in the air. He said the precaution that could be done to avoid microdroplets was to always use a mask.

"These microdroplets are droplets that are smaller in size and can stay in the air for a relatively long time, especially in rooms with inadequate ventilation and air circulation," Yurianto said in a press conference broadcast on BNPB's YouTube account, Sunday, July 12.

He described, microdroplets are like the spread of cigarette smoke in a closed room where the air circulation is not good. The smell of smoke, said Yurianto, will definitely continue to smell and last a very long time because there is no change in the air.

"Anyone who uses a face shield without using a mask will definitely be able to smell this smell. That's more or less the COVID-19 microdroplets," he said.

"Therefore, we still recommend that you use a mask. It's better if you can add a face shield," he concluded.