UNAIR – Eid al-Fitr is a day that Muslims have been waiting for after a full month of fasting. However, people still have to be vigilant because Eid al-Fitr in 2021 is still amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this regard, Laura Navika Yamani S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D., one of the epidemiology experts at Faculty of Public Health (FKM) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) has six tips so people can celebrate Eid with a sense of security in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic that is not over yet.
- It is enough to do ‘Takbiran’ at the mosque
Regarding the night of the takbiran before the implementation of the Eid al-Fitr prayer, Laura appealed to the public not to do the takbiran by going around in crowds. According to her, takbiran is sufficient to be carried out from the mosque by one to two people, both takmir(management) of the mosque and other adults.
“Takbiran should not be done by gathering children to go around in crowds,” she said.
- Implementing health protocols during Eid Prayer
Laura revealed that if the government in their respective regions allows the implementation of Eid al-Fitr prayers in mosques, tips that can be done are to provide distance when praying and keep wearing masks. She also said that the mosque should provide a thermo gun facility to measure body temperature for people who want to pray.
“Choose a mosque that is a short distance from the house, don’t choose a mosque that is in another sub-district from where you live because people may not know the situation in the other sub-districts,” she said.
- Meeting families and colleagues in a short time
Celebrating Eid is also synonymous with strengthening ties of families and colleagues. In this regard, Laura gave a tip by remaining obedient to implementing health protocols. She also appealed to the people to only visit closest neighbors for a short duration.
“Don’t shake hands when in touch with your closest neighbors, it’s better to keep in touch outside the house and don’t talk without wearing a mask for a long time,” she added on Monday, May 10, 2021.
Laura said that if people want to stay in touch with their family, they should take turns and not gather in one closed room or place. They should do the gathering as short as possible between 10-15 minutes. For families who live outside the city, the gathering can be done online.
- Choose a tourist spot with an open space and not crowded
Furthermore, Laura added that sometimes there are people who celebrate Eid by visiting tourist attractions. So, she gave tip so that people can choose the closest tourist spot with an open space and avoid tourist attractions with large crowds.
“People need to be vigilant when visiting tourist attractions visited by many people but ignoring health protocols. In essence, all activities carried out during Eid still have to implement strict health protocols, ” she said.
- Pay attention to hand hygiene when receiving THR
Another tradition during Eid, continued Laura, is to give holiday allowances (THR) to families or relatives. If the allowance is given to an adult, it should be transferred directly to their respective accounts. However, if you want to give allowance to children, parents need to pay attention to hand hygiene by washing their hands or using a hand sanitizer after receiving the allowance.
“Parents also need to remind children to wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer before taking the cake by hand and eating it,” she continued.
- Stay at home when you feel unhealthy
Finally, if someone feels unwell before Eid or after Eid, Laura suggested that they limit their activities because, usually during Eid, many health services are closed so it is quite difficult to confirm whether a person is infected with Covid-19 or not.
“If you feel unwell, just stay at home, increase your immunity by getting enough rest and consuming nutritious food,” she concluded.
UNAIR as one of the best universities in Indonesia supports the entire academic community to contribute to the wider community. (*)
Author: Dita Aulia Rahma
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
