As religious figures, it is your task to convey the information to your own congregation, to become a role model, and to remind the public to always follow the health protocols better, especially wearing masks.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has called on religious figures to help disseminate the right information pertaining to the health protocols and serve as role models for health protocol adherence to curb COVID-19 transmission.
“As religious figures, it is your task to convey the information to your own congregation, to become a role model, and to remind the public to always follow the health protocols better, especially wearing masks,” Qoumas said during a discussion on 'Cross-Religious Nationality', held online here on Wednesday.
He said religious figures have been making efforts to support COVID-19 prevention and mitigation.
“They are not tired of edifying their congregations (on the need) to always adhere to the health protocols and get vaccinated,” he added.
Qoumas then urged them to convey religious orders pertaining to the importance of maintaining their safety and that of others through steps such as wearing masks to curb COVID-19 transmission.
Religious figures are playing an important role in preventing and mitigating COVID-19 in Indonesia since they are in the midst of the public and their voices can be heard more by the community, he said.
According to the ministry’s research and development agency, in 2020, citizens considered religious figures reliable informants about COVID-19 and vaccinations after doctors and the President.
“The role of religious figures is very important, especially to fight the information influx about the pandemic that is mostly inconsequential,” he remarked.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Juwita Trisna
Editor: Suharto
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