Covid-19 case visited mosque in Bedok North 8 times between Jun. 26 & Jul. 2

MOH has confirmed that other worshippers are at low risk of being infected.

Jane Zhang | July 09, 2020, 12:36 PM

A Covid-19 case visited Masjid Al-Ansar (located at 155 Bedok North Ave 1) eight times between Jun. 26 and Jul. 2, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release on Jul. 9.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) had announced on Jun. 21 that mosques would gradually resume daily congregational and Friday prayers starting from Jun. 26, 2020.

Mosque closed on Jul. 7 evening and Jul. 8 for cleaning

MOH said that it notified Masjid Al-Ansar on Jul. 7 that a confirmed case of Covid-19 had visited the mosque for evening prayers between Jun. 26 and Jul. 2.

As a precautionary measure, Masjid Al-Ansar was closed from the evening of Jul. 7 as well as on Jul. 8, to allow for comprehensive cleaning and disinfection.

The mosque resumed prayer services on Jul. 9, and Friday prayer will be carried out as planned on Jul. 10.

Dates and times visited by Covid-19 case

Because of the processes that mosques have put in place, said MOH, the individual was able to be traced.

The full list of dates and times of the Covid-19 case's visit are as follows:

  • Jun. 26 from 8:43pm to 8:59pm
  • Jun. 27 from 7:25pm to 7:39pm and 8:36pm to 8:54pm
  • Jun. 28 from 7:21pm to 7:38pm and 8:40pm to 8:58pm
  • Jun. 30 from 7:21pm to 7:35pm
  • Jul. 1 from 8:32pm to 8:55pm
  • Jul. 2 from 8:34pm to 8:51pm

In line with national guidelines, mosques require worshippers to book prayer slots through an online prayer booking system.

The system allows for reservation of available prayer spaces for daily and Friday congregational prayers.

Entry to mosques is only available through SafeEntry using NRIC/FIN, and usage of the TraceTogether app is strongly encouraged.

For Friday prayers, there will be two 30-minute prayer sessions, with a half-hour interval between the two sessions for safe crowd management.

Sermons and prayers are shortened to a maximum of 20 minutes, and there is a maximum limit of 50 congregants per prayer session.

People who visited mosque during specified times should monitor health

Restricting the time worshippers can spend in the mosque made contact with each other transient, said MOH.

MOH has also confirmed that other worshippers are at low risk of being infected.

Nevertheless, MUIS advises members of the public who have been to Masjid Al-Ansar at these specified times to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit. They should seek treatment if they do not feel well.

MUIS would like to remind the community to remain vigilant, follow all safe management procedures stipulated by our mosques, and stay home if unwell.

In particular, vulnerable groups (i.e. the elderly, children, and those with chronic respiratory conditions) are strongly encouraged not to come to the mosque and to perform their prayers at home instead.

Top image via Google Maps / Rain Stormz.