Friski Riana, Jakarta – The Health Ministry and the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) introduced Friday a program that designated mosques as COVID-19 vaccination hubs.

The initial program was held today at Jami Assa'adah Mosque in Sukmajaya, Depok, which was participated by 500 people, mostly senior citizens.

"This COVID-19 vaccination program is not only the responsibility of the government because if it is, the national goal will not be achieved. This must involve the public, the quicker the better," said DMI chairperson and former 2-term vice president Jusuf Kalla in a statement on April 9.

According to Jusuf Kalla, DMI will prepare mosques that are needed to conduct the vaccination programs. He added there were certain criteria that must be fulfilled for a mosque to become a vaccination hub. One of which is that the location must be vast enough to safely accommodate participants.

Health Deputy Minister Dante Saksono also wrote that vaccination was not just a program but more of a movement, and that it was not exclusively a government movement.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1450846/mosques-established-as-covid-19-vaccination-hub