Pakistan issues special coronavirus instructions for Muharram gatherings to ensure ‘safe Ashura’

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which oversees Pakistan’s pandemic response, issued a list of protocols on Tuesday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus during the Muslim mourning month of Muharram, when Shi’ite Muslims hold large public processions.
The NCOC asked devotees to follow officially prescribed health precautions during their congregations and mourning sessions while wearing face masks and keeping a physical distance of six feet.
“Do not allow any individual to enter the premises without face mask,” an NCOC statement said, adding that masks should also be available at the entrance of all venues, and people given instructions regarding their proper use to ensure their nose and mouth are covered.
The eight-page NCOC document said Muharram gatherings should be held in spacious places with proper ventilation, with hand sanitizers and thermal guns readily available. It urged religious leaders to ensure that those who were conducting the gatherings had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, saying the government would set up special vaccination camps to inoculate participants.
The list of new safety protocols also included that devotees use their own prayer mats and rosaries while attending public gatherings and called for a media campaign to create greater awareness among the masses about COVID-19 to ensure a “safe Ashura.”
The Muharram moon was sighted in Pakistan on Monday, heralding the new Islamic year, 1443 AH, from today. Youm-e-Ashura, which marks the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson, will be observed on August 19 this year.
Pakistan reported 4,856 new COVID-19 cases along with 81 deaths caused by the disease in the last 24 hours. The country’s overall positivity rate stands at 7.5 percent, and it conducted about 65,000 tests on August 10.