Coronavirus is all we can talk about this season. When grocery shopping, when fasting during Ramadhan, when working from home and when returning to work. Hari Raya Puasa is almost here and now we’re wondering, how do we celebrate Raya with the Covid-19 pandemic going on? We made it through Ramadhan while abiding by the Movement Control Order (MCO) regulations. Will the same be said about Hari Raya?
One thing is for sure. This year’s Hari Raya is going to be different, to say the least. With Covid-19 still an active threat, people are anxious about having to celebrate Raya behind closed doors this year. Although the number of coronavirus active cases is now on a decline, there still is a fear of a coronavirus resurgence, especially with the loosening MCO restrictions. Most businesses in Malaysia have reopened, congregational prayers limited to 30 or fewer, and malls too have reopened with novel operating procedures such as temperature screening and record of personal data. Yet many people are still opting to stay away from these crowded places- which we think is great!
We are witnessing different countries approach Hari Raya or Eid differently. While some countries like Saudi Arabia and Singapore have tightened their stay-at-home orders especially for the Eid holidays, others like Malaysia have introduced new regulations to navigate around the celebrations such as the allowance for travels within the state for up to 10km and gathering for up to 20 persons at a time.
Obviously no one wants to see a resurgence of the novel coronavirus and that is why it is imperative that people continue to take preventive measures to contribute to flattening the curve. We’ve compiled 6 tips to help you navigate around Raya during these times:
- Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly and have a supply of masks at all times.
- Make sure you have hand sanitizers at home when receiving guests.
- Maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and others.
- Hold Eid prayers at home with family members only, as advised by mufti.
- Self-isolate if you are noticing minor symptoms to avoid new coronavirus clusters.
- Encourage your families (especially the older generation) to stick to the CMCO/ PKPB restrictions, which still includes the ban on balik kampung.
At this point in time, we all know about the severity of this virus and how harmful and fatal it can be to some. It is our duty to work together to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
Celebrating Hari Raya is a joyous, festive time, regardless of where we are or who we are with physically. Raya will still be Raya. There is no reason it should be any less special than it was in the previous years. With that, we would like to wish you a Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin. Bring it on, new normal!