Advice on staying safe this Eid al Adha

With Eid al Adha coming up later this week, Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health is sharing advice to our Muslim communities on how to celebrate safely.

It’s important to continue to adhere to social distancing and hygiene guidelines to protect ourselves, keep our loved ones safe and prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

Professor Dominic Harrison said:

In Blackburn with Darwen, the number of Coronavirus cases per 100,000 people is currently at 92. The latest data shows us that around 79% of cases are in people from a South Asian background, and we have been carrying out communications and engagement work with these communities.

It’s unfortunate that Eid al Adha is happening during this local spike in cases, especially as Eid ul Fitr took place during lockdown in May. But now more than ever, we need our Muslim communities to look after one another to help us drive down the rate of infections locally.

We are strongly recommending that families celebrate Eid only with the people they live with, and do not invite anyone from another household into their home. I appreciate it’s hard, but there are other ways to keep in touch, such as video calling apps.

Some mosques are using technology for prayers, supporting people to listen at home. We would encourage our communities to take advantage of these services where possible.

Professor Harrison will be sharing advice at two community Zoom meetings this week. He will make these five points to ensure people keep themselves and their loved ones safe this Eid:

• If attending Eid prayers indoors, follow the mosque’s social distancing and hygiene procedures. Face coverings should be worn at all times in mosques, in addition to keeping a 2 metre distance from anyone you don’t live with.
• If driving to the mosque, do not car share – travel only with the people you live with.

• The Council is not allowing any organised Eid prayers in parks this year. This is due to the rising rates of COVID-19 in the borough, and following last week’s announcement that Blackburn with Darwen is an area of intervention with no further easing of the lockdown restrictions for the time being. There are also ongoing national limitations on no more than 30 people gathering outdoors. If prayers take place outdoors on mosque premises, to allow for social distancing inside the mosque, mosques must carry out the necessary risk assessments and worshippers must practice safe social distancing.
• Visits to the cemetery should not happen unless absolutely necessary – and only travel there with the people you live with. Any essential visits to cemeteries must take place before or after the operational hours of 9am to 5pm when funerals may be taking place.
• Celebrate Eid only with the people you live with – we recommend you don’t allow anyone from another household into your home, and don’t visit anyone else in their home.

The Council’s Public Health team has been working closely with the Lancashire Council of Mosques to share these safety messages to keep congregations safe.

Maulana Rafiq Sufi, Chair of LCM, said:

Many mosques in Blackburn with Darwen have excellent health and safety procedures in place and are doing everything they can to keep their congregations safe.

Please abstain from hugging and handshaking before or after Eid prayers, and avoid social gatherings.

I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and unmeasurable sacrifices. We must continue with this to save lives.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, added:

We have all made huge sacrifices in the past few months and I know how hard it has been. We must not reverse all this good work. Stay alert this Eid when you attend prayers, make sure you keep your distance from others you don’t live with, and don’t invite anyone from another household into your home.

Wear a face covering in enclosed public places and wash your hands more often throughout the day. These restrictions are in place to keep all our families and communities safe during this extremely tough time.

I hope that by the next Eid we will be able to celebrate as we normally do. In the meantime, please stay safe. Eid Mubarak to everyone who is celebrating later this week.

Everyone in the borough is encouraged to get tested for the virus even if they don’t have symptoms, to help identify cases locally.

To arrange a test, visit www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or call 119.