Have a quiet Raya at home, health DG says
Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah advises people to avoid having visitors at all, saying this is to protect their families and communities.
PUTRAJAYA: Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today advised Muslims to avoid having visitors during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, urging them to celebrate the festive season in their own homes.
“We would like to advocate and advise the public to have a homely and closed-door Hari Raya.
“This is unprecedented, but at least we can protect our families. That’s the most important thing,” he said at a press conference here.
He said families could even introduce a curfew of their own at home to prevent outsiders from visiting them.
He also advised those from red-zone areas who are planning to visit family members to refrain from doing so, adding that this is to protect their families and the surrounding communities.
“You need to protect the elderly, the disabled, those who have comorbidities. This is something you can do: curfew your own home, and perhaps not visit other homes.
“These are some of the initiatives the public can take. If we take all the precautionary measures, I’m sure we can prevent transmissions of Covid-19,” he said.
Noor Hisham added that Putrajaya’s limit of 20 people for family get-togethers on the first day of Aidilfitri was relative to the size of the house in question.
He said parents with limited space at home should advise their children not to visit others for Aidilfitri, and to instead communicate through videoconferencing.
He also issued a reminder that visitors should comprise family members, not friends.
“Just forget about the number. What’s more important is to comply with the SOPs, the 3Cs (avoiding crowded places, confined spaces and close conversations) and 3Ws (wash, wear a mask, and warn others).
“This is a unique and unprecedented Hari Raya, but if we all play our part, we can break the Covid-19 transmission in this country,” he said.
Putrajaya had announced that families planning to get together for Hari Raya this month would only be allowed to do so on the first day of the Islamic festival.
Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said only 20 people would be allowed, depending on the size of the house, and only comprising family members.
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