Page 10 - ANTILL DGB

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 20 March 2020
Indonesia halts Islamic assembly, quarantining 9,000 people

By NINIEK KARMINI and EI- has been criticized as slow
LEEN NG to deal with the virus's
Associated Press spread, which could over-
MAKASSAR, Indonesia (AP) whelm health care system
— Indonesia halted a mass in the country of more than
congregation of nearly 267 million people.
9,000 Muslim pilgrims and President Joko Widodo has
began quarantining them called for all mass gather-
and checking their health ings to be canceled, but
Thursday to prevent the fur- such orders could be hard
ther spread of the corona- to enforce in the sprawling
virus amid a spike in cases. archipelago.
The four-day gathering at In another large religious
a boarding school in a rural gathering, Catholics at-
area in south Sulawesi prov- tended the ordination of a
ince wasn't approved by new bishop on Thursday in
authorities and drew fears a remote town on Flores is-
it could spread the virus land. Organizers said about
widely in the world's fourth 4,000 people from across
most populous nation. the country attended, al-
It was organized by a Mus- though government offi-
lim missionary movement, cials said there were 1,000.
Jamaat Tabligh, which held Images of the ceremony
a similar event in Malaysia posted on social media
three weeks ago that has showed people inside the
been linked to nearly two- Ruteng cathedral seated
thirds of that country's 900 next to each other, ignoring
infections as well as dozens social distancing measures.
of cases in other nations. Ruteng resident Sebastian
South Sulawesi Gov. Nur- Rida said health officers
din Abdullah said medical asked guests to use masks
teams screening more than and hand sanitizers but
8,600 participants found a not everyone complied.
local man with fever who Rida said he wasn't worried
was taken to a hospital. about the virus threat.
"We've worked hard in deal- "I did not think about it. I
ing with this issue, involving just wanted to see the new
religious leaders and securi- bishop," he said.
ty forces. We have told the Provincial official Marius
pilgrims that we are in an Ardu Jelamu said the event
emergency state of coro- was long planned and
navirus and only common couldn't be postponed,
discipline can break the but that they tried to restrict
COVID-19's wide spread," A Muslim pilgrim stands on a field where a mass congregation is supposed to be held in Gowa, people from attending.
Abdullah said. South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, March 19, 2020. Cabinet ministers and other
The move came as Indo- Associated Press top officials also didn't par-
nesia reported six more ticipate.
deaths for a total of 25, the try's airports and sea ports. cluding Malaysia, Singa- With participants in the Mass religious gatherings
most in Southeast Asia, and "The decision and the treat- pore and Saudi Arabia will Malaysian event huddled have been curbed in many
its biggest daily jump of 82 ment is clearly against our be quarantined at a ho- together for prayers, ser- places to contain the coro-
cases to 309. faith and hurt us," Thoriq tel. They will be allowed to mons and sleeping in a navirus.
Pictures and videos posted said. "Health, illness or leave later based on their confined space as well Many Muslims believe in
by some participants on death is God's destiny, we ticket dates. Indonesians as communal eating with divine protection against
social media showed long believe that God will bless will be escorted to their hands from shared trays, the pandemic. Authorities
rows of blue makeshift tents and protect those who are home villages or must stay the virus spread unno- in predominantly Muslim
on a field at the school. devout." in a government dormitory, ticed during the four-day Bangladesh are investigat-
Devotees in long white The committee chief later but quarantine is compul- gathering involving 16,000 ing an unauthorized prayer
robes and skullcaps sat said it accepted the gov- sory for 14 days once they people, including from the rally where about 25,000
close to each other or slept ernment's decision for the reach home, Abdullah former pandemic hot spots people reportedly sought
on mats on the ground. safety of all. said. of China and South Korea. Allah's protection.
Sentot Abu Thoriq, a mem- The cancellation surprised Indonesia's swift move The outbreak from the Ma- The surprise rally Wednes-
ber of the organizing com- some participants who ar- could help prevent an laysian gathering came to day in an open field in
mittee, said he regretted rived early Thursday. outbreak like in Malay- light nearly two weeks later Laxmipur district shocked
the government's decision "I didn't know about that," sia, which on Wednesday when Brunei reported its many in Bangladesh,
to reject the event that had Indonesian Muhammad sealed its borders and shut first cases involving citizens which has reported one
been planned more than Sayid told Kompas TV upon schools, businesses and who had returned from the death and 14 cases. The
a year ago. He said those arrival at a bus station in government offices in a event. government shut schools
who are ill have been told the area. "This is a very im- two-week lockdown. A Ma- People from Cambodia, and urged people to avoid
to stay away, and noted portant agenda for us and laysian man who attended Singapore, Thailand, Indo- public gatherings, but reli-
that those arriving would has been long awaited." the mass Islamic event was nesia and Vietnam also gious institutions, including
have passed stringent Abdullah said 411 foreign- among two people in the were infected. 300,000 mosques, remain
health checks at the coun- ers from nine countries in- country who died. Indonesia's government open.q