To prevent further spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Muslims living in this city will celebrate Eid’l Fitr or the Festival of Breaking the Fast on Thursday to mark the end of Ramadan in different locations instead of a centralized gathering.

Dr. Ijodin Hadji-Azis Mamacol, executive director of the Office of the Muslim Affairs and Indigenous Cultural Communities (OMAICC) of the city government, said there will be no centralized prayer at the Cebu City Sports Center to avoid gathering of a huge crowd of Muslim worshippers.

Earlier, OMAICC planned to hold the morning prayer at the sports center to be attended by 800 Muslims here.

But the plan was scrapped, Mamacol said, because the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) ruled to limit to only 200 the number of people inside the sports center. Children and senior citizens are also prohibited from entering the venue.

Eid’l Fitr, Mamacol said, is traditionally celebrated as a “family affair” by Muslims worldwide, and family members and friends would gather to hold the morning worship.

Because of the ongoing Covid-19 threat in the capital city, Mamacol said it was agreed to spread out the celebration in different mosques here.

“I advised the Imams and presidents of Muslim communities during our meeting to have the celebrations at our mosques, keeping in mind the capacity per venue and other safety protocols to ensure that Covid-19 contagion would be prevented,” Mamacol told the Philippine News Agency in a message.

He said they met with EOC chief implementer Councilor Joel Garganera, representatives from the Cebu City Police Office and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), to discuss health and safety protocols during the celebration.

He said the OMAICC coordinated with Director Onasis Balt, of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (MCMF)-Visayas, for the conduct of morning prayer on the day of Eid’l Fitr on Thursday.

“This is for ourselves, for our country, and for us all. Please maintain safety and health protocol. Always wear mask and maintain (physical) distancing,” Mamacol said, as he urged fellow Muslim Cebuanos to be cautious in observing the tradition of breaking the fast. (PNA)