Imams called upon to not prolong reading in Oman mosques

Muscat: The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA) has asked imams of mosques to not prolong reading during prayers and directed their attention towards cleaning mosques and their facilities.

In its statement on the preventive measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the ministry said: "The ministry decides to implement the following: postponing religious activities and activities of a collective nature for a month starting from Sunday."

The ministry also directed the imams and preachers to urge people to avoid handshakes and hugging.

"Directing mosque agents and their supervisors to take great care of the cleanliness of mosques and its facilities and take preventive measures based on instructions issued by the competent authorities," the ministry added.