In Berlin, virus test before Ramadan prayers

In Berlin, virus test before Ramadan prayers

BERLIN: With his head tilted back and his face mask pulled down, Imam Abdallah Hajjir patiently undergoes a nasal swab outside a Berlin mosque to get tested for the coronavirus. "Negative!“ he smiles a few minutes later, and heads inside for Friday prayers. The medical team manning a testing station outside the red-bricked "House of Wisdom“ mosque is part of a push by authorities in the German capital to raise COVID awareness among Muslims during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and among migrant populations more generally. Sitting at a table in the building's parking lot, the staff made up of Libyans, Syrians and Armenians carry out free rapid testing for a steady stream of worshippers lining up with prayer mats rolled up under their arms.

'Protecting society'

Imam Abdallah Hajjir, wearing a gold-rimmed cap, says encouraging the congregation to get tested is a way "to contribute“ in the fight against the pandemic. "By protecting the members of our community, we are protecting those they come into contact with, so society as a whole,“ he said. Around 35 percent of Berlin residents have a migrant background, and neighborhoods with the highest proportion of migrants have recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases