The Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque Prof Nasaruddin Umar (center) during a press conference with the Task Force for COVID-19 handling in Jakarta on Friday (March 20, 2020).

Jakarta - The Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque KH Prof Nasaruddin Umar has appealed to Muslims in Indonesia to call off congregational prayers at mosques, including the Friday prayers, especially those in regions, with reported coronavirus cases.

"In regions where the virus has spread, there is sufficient rationale behind not holding events in congregation, including the Friday prayers, Fajr, Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha congregational prayers," Umar noted during a press conference along with the COVID-19 handling Task Force in Jakarta on Friday.

Umar remarked that Muslims in regions, where COVID-19 cases had yet to be confirmed, can perform Friday prayers by adhering to the health protocol to prevent the spread of the virus and maintain a safe distance with other people.

"Maintain a distance of some two meters between one another. We, at Istiqlal Mosque, are following that practice," he pointed out.

The Istiqlal Mosque has cancelled Friday prayers for two weeks following a call from Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to all mosques in the capital city to not hold congregational events to contain the further spread of coronavirus.

It suggested people to perform the Zuhr prayer at home in place of the Friday prayer.

President Joko Widodo had earlier called on the public to practice social distancing by maintaining a safe distance between one another and avoiding crowds to cut the transmission chain of the virus.

"Our priority is to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Hence, it is crucial to reduce the people's mobility. We continue to promote social distancing and avoid crowds that can increase the risk of people contracting the virus," Jokowi stated.

Umar pointed out that the decision to call off the Friday prayers was taken to safeguard people from the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has also issued a fatwa to avoid crowds to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"As religious people, all we can do is to follow our ulemas and umara (government)," he stated.

The management of Istiqlal Mosque has taken into account the situation in other countries, such as Iran, South Korea, and Italy, where the virus has spread rapidly.

As of Thursday, the number of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia had reached 309, with 25 deaths and 15 others having recovered. (ANTARA)

The Indonesian government, on Friday, expressed its readiness to face the economic slowdown owing to ongoing concerns over the global pandemic of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

"The global economy is projected to decline, from three percent to 1.5 percent or lower than that," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) told his cabinet members during a teleconference meeting to discuss monetary and fiscal policies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Jakarta.

President Jokowi echoed the government’s readiness to face the global economic slowdown resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak that has potentially increased risks to public health and economic implications.

The global economic slowdown amid this virus outbreak might also impact Indonesia's economy whose growth rate was earlier forecast at between five and 5.4 percent this year.

"We must respond to this challenge," he emphasized.

On Thursday, the rupiah exchange rate fell to Rp16,000, from Rp15,963 per US dollar, according to the Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate (JISDOR).

COVID-19, which initially struck in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019, has killed at least 8,778 people and infected no less than 209,839 people in 168 countries and territories worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Indonesia, the virus has infected at least 309 people and claimed 25 lives, while 15 others have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The percentage of Indonesia's death toll is the highest of those in other countries in Southeast Asia.

Taking into account the rising death toll and the spread of this virus, the WHO has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

The Indonesian government has put in place precautionary measures since the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to installing thermal scanners at the country's airports and seaports as well as making preparations at hospitals across the archipelago, the Indonesian government has repatriated several hundred citizens.

On February 2, a total of 238 Indonesian nationals were airlifted from Wuhan, China, to be quarantined in Natuna District's Riau Islands Province. All these Indonesians were found to be healthy and were reunited with their families.

On March 2, 2020, President Jokowi announced that two Indonesians had tested positive for COVID-19. The number of infected confirmed by the government tended to rise steadily over the past days. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) revealed that government will shortly assess any religious events involving masses or crowds congregating at one place at a time to contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

"We have to evaluate religious events involving several people," President Jokowi remarked during a limited meeting on the COVID-19 Task Force report at Istana Merdeka in Jakarta on Thursday.

The head of state highlighted the government's current national priority aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.

Hence, Jokowi reiterated the significance of restricting the people's mobility and direct physical contact, intensifying information dissemination on social distancing, and reducing the likelihood of people congregating that can increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.

The president also encouraged all Indonesian religious activists to partake in supporting the fight against the COVID-19 contagion.

"I also encourage religious institutions and religious activists to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during religious activities," Jokowi stated.

Hence, the president highlighted the need to apply several policies, including learning, working, and praying from home, to thwart the spread of the virus.

"It can be applied effectively, but those going out to work should ensure maintaining a distance between themselves and the ones around," Jokowi emphasized. (ANTARA)

The I Gusti Ngurai Rai International Airport authority, Bali Island, has applied the concept of social distancing for passengers and others in the airport area to contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

"This social distancing has been made effective at the airport's areas since Wednesday (March 18)," spokesman of state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) I at I Gusti Ngurai Rai International Airport Arie Ahsanurrohim stated in Badung on Thursday.

In applying the rules of social distancing, the airport authority has affixed stickers at the security checkpoint and boarding gate areas to notify passengers and has rearranged chairs to ensure that a physical distance of one meter is maintained between them.

"We ensure a physical distance of one meter between the passengers, so that if one of them happens to fall sick, he or she is expected to not infect others seated next to him or her," Ahsanurrohim remarked.

The footmark stickers had also been placed on the floor of elevators and lifts to remind people inside the airport’s domestic and international terminals of the importance of maintaining physical distance between themselves, he stated.

COVID-19, which initially struck in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019, has killed more than 8,900 people and infected at least 218,900 people worldwide.

In Indonesia, the virus has infected at least 227 people and killed 19 while 11 others have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Taking into account the increasing death toll and the spread of this virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

The Indonesian government has put in place precautionary measures since the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak that first struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019.

In addition to installing thermal scanners at the country's airports and seaports as well as making preparations at hospitals across the archipelago, the Indonesian government has repatriated several hundred citizens.

On February 2, a total of 238 Indonesian nationals were airlifted from Wuhan, China, to be quarantined in Natuna District's Riau Islands Province. All these Indonesians were found to be healthy and were reunited with their families.

On March 2, 2020, President Jokowi announced that two Indonesians had tested positive for COVID-19. The number of infected confirmed by the government tended to rise steadily over the past days.