I made an agreement with the Health Ministry so that vaccinations can be organized in mosques.Makassar (ANTARA) - Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) chairperson Jusuf Kalla, after a meeting with the Health Ministry, has announced that COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered in mosques starting April, 2021.
“Two nights ago, I made an agreement with the Health Ministry so that vaccinations can be organized in mosques,” he stated in a press release issued in Mataram on Tuesday.
To aid vaccinations, the selected mosques must be large, supported by sufficient infrastructure, and be spacious enough to prevent crowding that could occur during the process, Kalla, the former Indonesian Vice President and head of Indonesian Red Cross, added.
“As long as the mosques have good facilities and equipment, such as a hall, hallway, large yard, and rooms for vaccination,” he said.
If vaccination is only administered in cities, the target for vaccinating one million people a day will be hard to reach, Kalla remarked.
On the other hand, he added, the target needs to be achieved to build herd immunity against COVID-19.
Thus, thousands of venues that the public can easily access are needed, he noted. Those venues should have supporting facilities for vaccinations, and mosques can meet that need, he pointed out.
“We need to move fast to build immunity, so we can live normally again, no need to keep on wearing masks. It can happen if we vaccinate one million people a day,” Kalla remarked.
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Translator: Juwita Trisna Rahayu
Editor: Suharto
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