Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh has said prayers during Ramazan and the subsequent Eidul Fitr should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues, according to a Saudi newspaper.

“Ramazan’s Taraweeh prayer can be performed at home if it cannot be performed at mosques due to the preventive measures taken to fight the spread of coronavirus,” Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh said in response to a question, adding that the same applies for Eid prayers, Okaz newspaper reported on Friday.

The holy month of Ramazan starts next week. Saudi Arabia in mid-March stopped people performing their five daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayers inside mosques as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

On Thursday, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) mosque in Medina said it was banning events which dispense evening meals to those in needs during Ramazan to break their daily fast.

The kingdom has reported 6,380 cases of COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and 83 deaths so far.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia indefinitely extended a curfew in force due to the coronavirus amid a surge of new infections. The measure covers the capital, Riyadh, and other big cities for 24 hours of the day.