Kabul Residents, Heeding Health Advice, Stay Home for Eid

Kabul was empty and silent on Eid, but the lockdown was eased one week before the holiday.

The Eid celebration this year for Afghans was different as they were less inclined to visit friends and families, not least because it was against the government's strict lockdown rules for Kabul city.

The Ministry of Public Health on Monday reported 591 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours as total cases surpassed 11,000.

Kabul was empty and silent on Eid, but the lockdown was eased one week before the holiday, and this may have increased the number of positive cases of the coronavirus.

“Corona is a dangerous disease and the people have done very well to stay at home during Eid,” said Mashooq, a Kabul resident.

“We are using masks and we are not greeting each other by shaking hands,” said Ajmal, a Kabul resident.

Saeed Naeem, the father of a six-member family, said he is one of the families who did not celebrate Eid this year by going out to visit friends and families.

“We don’t want the disease to spread more. We stayed with our family,” Naeem said.

“We called our friends and families on the phone and wished them happy Eid. We wanted to save them and us,” Naeem’s wife Halima said.

Health officials have constantly warned people over their indifference to lockdown rules.

“The people heard the Public Health Ministry’s advice during Eid days and avoided non-essential movements,” said Wahid Mayar, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health.