Second Ramadan in pandemic, Muslim believers begin fasting

clerics throughout Pakistan have urged people to follow security procedures, while the country is in isolation to fight and control the third wave of the virus.

Under restrictive measures, most of the markets and shopping malls are closed, while only vegetable and fruit markets are allowed to remain open. People flocked to buy dates, usually consumed by fasters.

Buyers at a market in the Egyptian capital said things seem to be better this year compared to last Ramadan, when the country was in total curfew.

The month of Ramadan begins today for several countries in America and Tuesday for most of the world. The exact timing of the beginning depends on the visibility of the new moon, with most Muslim countries following the appearance of the new moon from Saudi Arabia, and seems to correspond to Tuesday.

Authorities in Morocco say they will retain curfew during the night, while Tunisia is facilitating restrictions by allowing the exit by 10:00.

But in many countries, to curb the number of infected, it is set to reduce the number of visitors to the mosque to 2030% of their usual capacity.

Also, wearing masks will be mandatory. In order to avoid further meetings outside mosques, traditional mealtimes before sunrise, and after sundown, Suhur and Iftar, often divided into Ramadan public tents, will be stopped throughout the region.