Safe Ramadan practices in the context of the COVID-19
Interim guidance
15 April 2020
Backgroundcomprehensive approach taken by national authorities to
respond to the outbreak.

The holy month of Ramadan is marked by social and religious
gatherings where Muslim families and friends unite to breaktheir fast together, after sunset during iftar or before dawn
during suhour. Many Muslims increase their attendance at
mosques during the month and congregate for longer prayers
for taraweeh a and qiyam. b Some Muslims also spend
consecutive days and nights at mosques during the last 10
days of Ramadan (i’tikaf) for prayers. These traditional andreligious practices are regularly observed throughout themonth. This year Ramadan falls between late April and late
May as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

If cancelling social and religious gatherings, where possible,virtual alternatives using platforms such as television, radio,digital, and social media can be used instead. If Ramadan
gatherings are allowed to proceed, measures to mitigate therisk of COVID-19 transmission should be implemented.
National health authorities should be considered the primarysource of information and advice regarding physicaldistancing and other measures related to COVID-19 in thecontext of Ramadan. Compliance with these establishedmeasures should be assured. Religious leaders should beinvolved early in decision making, so that they can be activelyengaged in communicating any decision affecting events
connected with Ramadan.

The transmission of COVID-19 is facilitated by close contact
between people, as the virus is spread through respiratory
droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces. To mitigate
the public health impact, several countries have implemented
physical distancing measures aimed at interrupting
transmission by reducing interaction between people. Thesemeasures are fundamental control mechanisms to control thespread of infectious diseases, particularly respiratory
infections, associated with large gatherings of people.
Physical distancing measures, including the closing ofmosques, monitoring of public gatherings and otherrestrictions on movement, will have direct implications forthe social and religious gatherings central to Ramadan.

A strong communication strategy is essential to explain to thepopulation the reasons for decisions taken. Clear instructions
should be given and the importance of following national
policies reinforced. The communication strategy should also
include proactive messaging on healthy behaviours during thepandemic and use different media platforms.

Overarching considerations
Advice on physical distancing

Purpose•Countries around the world are taking different measures tocontrol the spread of COVID-19. This document highlights
public health advice for social and religious practices andgatherings during Ramadan that can be applied acrossdifferent national contexts.

••

Informed decision making for conducting
religious and social gatherings

Practice physical distancing by strictly maintaining
a distance of at least 1 metre (3 feet) between people
at all times.
Use culturally and religiously sanctioned greetings
that avoid physical contact, such as waving, nodding,or placing the hand over the heart.
Stop large numbers of people gathering in places
associated with Ramadan activities, such asentertainment venues, markets, and shops.

Advice to high-risk groups

Cancelling social and religious gatherings should be seriously
considered. WHO, therefore, recommends that any decision
to restrict, modify, postpone, cancel, or proceed with holding
a mass gathering should be based on a standardized risk
assessment exercise.1 These decisions should be part of a••

Voluntary prayers performed by Muslims at night after theIsha prayer during the first part of the night. These areorganized in congregational manner during the holy monthof Ramadan.

Urge people who are feeling unwell or have any
symptoms of COVID-19 to avoid attending eventsand follow the national guidance on follow-up andmanagement of symptomatic cases.
Urge older people and anyone with pre-existing
medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease,

Voluntary prayers performed by Muslims at night after theIsha prayer but during the last third of any night. These areorganized in congregational manner during the holy monthof Ramadan.

ab-1-

Safe Ramadan practices in the context of the COVID-19: interim guidanceCharitydiabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer) not
to attend gatherings, as they are consideredvulnerable to severe disease and death fromCOVID-19.

When the faithful give special attention to those who may beadversely affected while distributing their sadaqat or zakah
during this Ramadan, consider the physical distancing
measures in place. To avoid the crowded gathering associatedwith iftar banquets, consider using individual pre-packaged
boxes/servings of food. These can be organized bycentralized entities and institutions, which should adhere tophysical distancing throughout the whole cycle (collecting,packaging, storing and distribution).

Mitigation measures for physical gatherings
The following measures should be applied to any gathering
occurring during Ramadan, such as prayers, pilgrimages, andcommunal meals or banquets.
Venue••••••

Well-being

Consider holding the event outdoors if possible;
otherwise, ensure that the indoor venue has adequate
ventilation and air flow
Shorten the length of the event as much as possible
to limit potential exposure
Give preference to holding smaller services withfewer attendees more often, rather than hosting large
gatherings
Adhere to physical distancing among attendees, bothwhen seated and standing, through creating andassigning fixed places, including when praying,
performing wudu (ritual ablutions) in communalwashing facilities, as well as in areas dedicated toshoe storage.
Regulate the number and flow of people entering,attending, and departing from worship spaces,
pilgrimage sites, or other venues to ensure safe
distancing at all times
Consider measures to facilitate contact tracing in theevent that an ill person is identified among theattendees of the event.

Fasting
No studies of fasting and risk of COVID-19 infection havebeen performed. Healthy people should be able to fast during
this Ramadan as in previous years, while COVID-19 patients
may consider religious licenses regarding breaking the fast inconsultation with their doctors, as they would do with anyother disease.
Physical activity
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are restrictedin their movements; but, if restrictions allow, always practicephysical distancing and proper hand hygiene even during any
exercise activity. In lieu of outdoor activities, indoor physicalmovement and online physical activity classes areencouraged.
Healthy diet and nutrition
Proper nutrition and hydration are vital during the month of
Ramadan. People should eat a variety of fresh andunprocessed foods every day and drink plenty of water.

Encourage healthy hygiene
Muslims perform wudu before prayers, which helps maintainhealthy hygiene. The following additional measures should
be considered:••••

Tobacco use
Tobacco use is ill-advised under any circumstances,
especially during Ramadan and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frequent smokers may already have lung disease, or reduced
lung capacity, which greatly increases the risk of serious
COVID-19 illness. When smoking cigarettes, the fingers (andpossibly contaminated cigarettes) touch the lips, which
increases the likelihood of the virus entering the respiratory
system. When waterpipes are used, it is likely that mouth
pieces and hoses are shared, which also facilitatestransmission of the virus.

Ensure that handwashing facilities are adequately
equipped with soap and water and provide alcoholbased hand-rub (at least 70% alcohol) at the entrance
to and inside mosques.
Ensure the availability of disposable tissues and bins
with disposable liners and lids, and guarantee thesafe disposal of waste.
Encourage the use of personal prayer rugs to placeover carpets.
Provide visual displays of advice on physicaldistancing, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, andgeneral messages on COVID-19 prevention.

Promoting mental and psychosocial healthDespite the different execution in practices this year, it isimportant to reassure the faithful that they can still reflect,improve, pray, share, and care – all from a healthy distance.
Ensuring that family, friends, and elders are still engaged inlight of physical distancing needs to be considered;encouraging alternate and digital platforms for interaction isparamount. Offering special prayers for the sick, alongsidemessages of hope and comfort, are methods to observe thetenants of Ramadan while maintaining public health.

Frequently clean worship spaces, sites, and buildings•••

Enforce routine cleaning of venues where people
gather before and after each event, using detergentsand disinfectants.
In mosques, keep the premises and wudu facilities
clean, and maintain general hygiene and sanitation.
Frequently clean often-touched objects such as
doorknobs, light switches, and stair railings withdetergents and disinfectant.

Responding to situations of domestic violence
In settings where movement restrictions are in place,incidents of domestic violence, particularly against women,-2-Safe Ramadan practices in the context of the COVID-19: interim guidancechildren, and marginalized people, are likely to increase.
Religious leaders can actively speak out against violence andprovide support or encourage victims to seek help.

(https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novelcoronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/points-ofentry-and-mass-gatherings)

Acknowledgment
Thanks to the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern
Mediterranean for leading the development of this guidance.

WHO continues to monitor the situation closely for any
changes that may affect this interim guidance. Should any
factors change, WHO will issue a further update. Otherwise,
this interim guidance document will expire 2 years after thedate of publication.

Reference
1.

World Health Organization. Practicalconsiderations and recommendations for religious
leaders and faith-based communities in the contextof COVID-19 – publication, risk assessment tool,
decision tree© World Health Organization 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA
3.0 IGO licence.

WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Ramadan/2020.1-3-