Vijayawada: Muslim religious leaders told to get vaccinated

Vijayawada: Suggesting the Muslim leaders to go for vaccination, wear masks and maintain physical distance to avoid coronavirus infection, District Collector Md Imtiaz said here on Friday that all are equal for coronavirus.

He was addressing the Muslim leaders in view of the forthcoming month of Ramzan from April 14 on the precautions to be taken while attending the mass prayers.

Joint Collectors K Madhavi Latha and K Mohan Rao, Sub-Collector HM Dhyan Chandra Machilipatnam RDO Khaza Vali, district minority welfare officer Razia Sultana and others were present.

Recalling that the war on Covid-19 was started on March 23 last year, the Collector said that the Covid-19, which subsided then, is now spreading fast once again with new strains.

"If one person is found to be infected, all his family members would also be tested positive," he said. Expressing concern that the covid-19 is now spreading fast in cinema halls, places of worship where there would be large gathering, the Collector said that the Muslim leaders should suggest how to fight effectively the menace while celebrating the Ramzan month.

When Sufi Altaf Raza from Kondapalli pointed out that sanitiser contained alcohol, the Collector told him to use only the soap for sanitisation.

The Collector instructed the officials to make sure there was uninterrupted power supply to the mosques during the Friday prayers. He advised the religious heads to get vaccinated and encourage others to get vaccinated.

Minority welfare officer Razia Sultana said that the government released Rs 18 lakh for undertaking repairs to 186 mosques in the district. Mosques in rural areas were sanctioned Rs 15,000 and in urban areas Rs 20,000.

Likewise, in the limits of municipal corporations the mosques were given Rs 25,000. The details of the expenditure should be presented along with the bills to the MPDO or the Municipal Commissioner concerned, she said.