Religious gatherings to be restricted in Arakan State amid virus surge

By DMG 10 Jul 2021

DMG Newsroom
10 July 2021, Sittwe

The Arakan State military council says it will strictly monitor compliance with Covid-19 regulations issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports with two major religious holidays approaching later this month.

U Hla Thein, spokesperson and attorney-general for the Arakan State Administration Council, said festivals and other gatherings — of a religious nature or otherwise — would be expected to abide by restrictions intended to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

“If more than 50 people attend religious services, they are not in compliance with the Covid-19 rules. If it is not in accordance with the Covid-19 rules, we will take necessary action and report it to the relevant religious leaders,” he told reporters at a press conference in Sittwe on Friday.

U Hla Thein said that with the coming days including festivals such as Dhammasetkya Day for Buddhists and Bakri Eid for Muslims, the public would be obligated to adhere to Covid-19 regulations, such as maintaining at least three feet of distance between one another and wearing masks, as well as the prohibition against gatherings of more than 50 people.

“We have instructed township- and district-level administration officials to put the Covid-19 regulations in place,” he added.

U Khaing Kaung San, director of the Wan Lark Rural Development Foundation, said religious leaders are urged to adhere to the Covid-19 rules issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports as the number of COVID-19 infections in Arakan State continues to rise.

“Education, economics, religion are all important in our daily life, but isn’t health just as important? Therefore, I would like to appeal to the authorities to prevent crowds during religious festivals and special occasions,” he said.

As of July 9, a total of 727 coronavirus cases were recorded in Arakan State during the ongoing third wave of the pandemic, with seven deaths attributed to the disease.