Recommendations For The Implementation Of The WHO Version Of The COVID-19 Prevention Protocol During Eid Al-Adha

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JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for implementing Eid al-Adha celebrations that are safe from COVID-19, which mainly includes implementing protocols for preventing the transmission of diseases caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Reported by Antara, Thursday, July 30, through the interim guidelines issued on July 25, WHO, among other things, recommended limiting the physical distance of at least one meter between people at all times, wearing masks, minimizing contact between individuals, and limiting crowds during Eid celebrations.

In addition, WHO encourages people who are not feeling well or experiencing symptoms similar to COVID-19 as well as people over 60 who suffer from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart and lung disease to not attend congregational worship activities because they more at risk of experiencing severity and death from COVID-19.

WHO recommends that worship activities be carried out as much as possible outdoors or indoors with good ventilation and air flow, regulating the flow of people in and out of places of worship, providing a place for washing hands and collecting garbage, and the use of prayer mats and personal worship equipment.

The committee is also advised to clean places of worship before and after worship activities, maintain hygiene and sanitation of places of worship, and routinely clean items that are frequently touched, such as door handles, light switches, and handrails on stairs.

WHO also provides guidance on the slaughter of sacrificial animals and the handling and distribution of sacrificial meat in accordance with applicable safety standards.

This world health agency recommends the procurement of sacrificial animals according to safety standards, especially for imported livestock; placing the sacrificial animals in a cage with a sufficient size; and examination of sacrificial animals to prevent zoonotic transmission.

"Do not slaughter animals that look sick and provide a special room for quarantine and isolation of animals that are suspected of being sick," the WHO recommended.

In addition, WHO recommends slaughtering sacrificial animals in animal slaughter facilities to facilitate the implementation of animal slaughter practices according to standards and protocols for preventing COVID-19; maintenance of hygienic and sanitary slaughter facilities and equipment; and management of slaughterhouse waste to prevent contamination and disease transmission.

According to WHO, officials who slaughter sacrificial animals must also apply health protocols such as maintaining distance from other people, wearing masks, cleaning hands, and implementing coughing and sneezing ethics.

In distributing meat for sacrificial animals, WHO recommends direct delivery of meat to recipient homes to avoid crowds and the application of health protocols such as wearing masks, washing hands, applying sneezing and coughing ethics, and maintaining distance from other people.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is primarily transmitted from person to person through droplets of saliva and respiratory fluids when a person coughs, sneezes, talks, or sings. Infection can also occur if a person touches a contaminated surface and then the eyes, nose or mouth before cleaning their hands.

According to WHO, there is evidence to suggest human-to-animal transmission of the virus. People infected with SARS-CoV-2 can transmit the virus to other mammals such as cats, platforms, and livestock.

Although it is not clear whether infected mammals can transmit the virus back to humans, WHO reminds the importance of vigilance to prevent potential transmission by implementing COVID-19 prevention protocols in the implementation of sacrificial animal slaughter and congregational worship on Eid al-Adha.