Ekeomah Atuonwu
Thousands of people gathered in Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque on Saturday as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country began the holy month of Ramadan.
With coronavirus cases decreasing in Indonesia, the country relaxed restrictions to allow people to gather for special prayers performed only during this holy month.
President Joko Widodo announced last week that the country would relax Covid restrictions for the first time in two years.
Iftar gatherings in restaurants, malls, and cafes are also permitted by the government. Physical separation and mask mandates, on the other hand, remain in place.
Ramadan-related festivals, which had been suspended for the previous two years, are also set to resume this year, including the popular torch-light parade.
While Muslims in South and Southeast Asia began fasting on Sunday, countries in the Middle East began earlier.
The days change depending on when the moon is visible.
The holy month began with the country reporting a more than 90% drop in coronavirus cases compared to February, with only 2,930 cases on Friday. The country reached a high of 64,700 cases in February.
Vaccinations have been administered to 75% of the country’s 208 million people.
