The five Singaporeans who tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a large religious gathering in Kuala Lumpur visited a total of 10 mosques during their infectious period.
Congregants who visited the mosques during specified periods may have been exposed to a Covid-19 case, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) in a statement on Sunday (Mar. 15).
Mosques attended by confirmed cases
The 10 mosques visited by the five confirmed cases are: Masjid Al-Iman, Masjid Al-Muttaqin, Masjid Hajjah Fatimah, Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau, Masjid Kassim, Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang, Masjid Sultan, Masjid Al-Mawaddah, Masjid Jamae (Chulia), and Masjid Al-Istiqamah.
They were visited by the confirmed cases for various periods of time between Mar. 3 and Mar. 11.
Information about each of the mosques and when they were visited by the confirmed cases are as follows:
Masjid Al-Iman
Masjid Al-Iman is located in Bukit Panjang at 10 Bukit Panjang Ring Road.
Photo via Google Maps / Haja Maricar.
According to its website, the mosque opened for prayers in 2003, and accommodates around 5,000 worshippers in one congregation.
It was attended by the patients on Mar. 5 from 8am to 9am and on Mar. 6 from 6am to 7:30am.
Masjid Al-Muttaqin
Masjid Al-Muttaqin is located in Ang Mo Kio at 5140 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6.
Photo via Google Maps / Rohaizat Rosdi
According to its website, Masjid Al-Muttaqin opened in 1980, and can accommodate up to 3,500 worshippers.
It was attended by the patients on Mar. 6 from 1pm to 2pm and 4pm to 6pm.
Masjid Hajjah Fatimah
Masjid Hajjah Fatimah is located in Kampong Glam at 4001 Beach Road.
Photo via Google Maps / Hafiz Waleed Hussain
According to the Muis website, Masjid Hajjah Fatimah was completed in 1846 and is one of Singapore's national monuments.
The mosque can accommodate up to 600 people and offers religious lectures on an ad-hoc basis.
At least one of the affected cases attended a religious event at Masjid Hajjah Fatimah on Mar. 6 from 9:30pm to 12am.
Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi
Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi is located in Whampoa at 76 Kim Keat Road.
Photo via Muis website.
According to the Muis website, Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi was redeveloped from an existing mosque, and was completed in 1984.
It has a capacity of around 500 worshippers.
It was attended by the patients on Mar. 4 from 5:45am to 6:45am, Mar. 5 from 5:45am to 6:45am, Mar. 6 from 1pm to 2pm, and Mar. 7 from 5:30pm to 7pm.
The mosque's Facebook page shared a status on Saturday (Mar. 14) showing the sanitisation of the mosque, as part of Muis' precautionary measures.
Masjid Kassim is located in Kembangan at 450 Changi Road, connected to the Wisma Indah building.
Photo via Google Maps / Mark Lee.
According to its website, Masjid Kassim has been around since the 1920s, making it one of the oldest mosques in Singapore.
Today, the three-storey mosque can accommodate up to 2,000 worshippers.
It was attended by the affected cases on Mar. 7 from 5:30pm to 9pm.
Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang
Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang is located in Sembawang at 27B Jalan Mempurong.
Photo via streetdirectory.com
According to the Muis website, Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang was built in 1970, and has a capacity of 300 people.
It was attended by the affected cases on Mar. 4, Mar. 8, and Mar. 11, from 8pm to 10pm on each day.
Masjid Sultan
Masjid Sultan, one of Singapore's most prominent mosques, is located in Kampong Glam at 3 Muscat Street.
The Muis website states that the mosque been gazetted as a national monument.
Photo via Facebook / Masjid Sultan Singapore.
According to its website, Masjid Sultan's history stretches back to 1824.
Its prayer hall can accommodate up to 5,000 people in mass prayer.
It was attended by the affected cases on Mar. 9 from 11am to 4pm.
Masjid Al-Mawaddah
Masjid Al-Mawaddah is located in Sengkang at 151 Compassvale Bow.
Photo via Google Maps Street View.
According to its website, Masjid Al-Mawaddah has a capacity to fit 4,000 people at "peak periods".
It was attended by the patients on:
- Mar. 3, Mar. 4, and Mar. 5 from 7 to 7:30pm.
- Mar. 6 from 1:30pm to 2pm and 7pm to 7:30pm.
- Mar. 7, Mar. 8, and Mar. 9 from 7pm to 7:30pm.
- Mar. 10 from 4pm to 8pm.
This was the mosque visited by the Singaporean who returned to work as a GrabFood rider prior to being confirmed to have Covid-19.
Masjid Jamae (Chulia)
Masjid Jamae (Chulia) is located in Chinatown at 218 South Bridge Road.
Photo via Masjid Jamae (Chulia) website.
According to its website, Masjid Jamae (Chulia) has existed as early as 1826 and was gazetted as a national monument 1974.
It is believed to be the oldest of the five mosques gazetted as national monuments in Singapore.
According to the Muis website, it has the capacity to hold 1500 people, and is one of the few mosques in Singapore that organises religious classes in Tamil.
It was attended by the patients on Mar. 9 from 7pm to 10pm.
Masjid Al-Istiqamah
Masjid Al-Istiqamah is located in Serangoon at 2 Serangoon North Ave 2.
Photo via Google Maps Street View.
According to its Facebook page, Masjid Al-Istiqamah was founded in 1999.
It was attended by the patients on Mar. 11 from 6:45pm to 10pm.
Muis advice to congregants
In the statement on Sunday (Mar. 15), Muis advised anyone who had visited any of the affected mosques during the specified periods to monitor their health closely for two weeks from their last visit to the affected mosques, for any fever or respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, runny nose or breathlessness.
Congregants should seek medical attention promptly if they have these symptoms or feel unwell.
They should also wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit in order to inform the clinic doctor of their attendance at the affected activities linked to a Covid-19 case, said Muis.
Muis added that it is a "timely reminder" to take the necessary precautions such as following the best practices in personal hygiene and practising socially responsible behaviour.
These include:
- Seeing a doctor when unwell, even with mild flu-like symptoms, and stay at home to prevent spreading illness to others.
- Keeping to the same family physician for better continuity of care.
- Practising self-isolation at home when unwell and as advised by a doctor.
- Avoid large community gatherings as well as large religious gatherings overseas during this period and defer all non-essential travel to mainland China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Spain.
- Frequent hand washing with soap and water as well as avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
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Top image via Masjid Jamae (Chulia) website and Facebook / Masjid Sultan Singapore.