Kuwait's religious authorities asked Muslims to pray at home on Friday as the emirate prepares to enter a period of virtual lockdown to fight the spread of the new coronavirus, Reuters reports.

“The doors of the mosques will stay closed,” said the ministry of religious endowment in a statement, citing a religious decree, or fatwa.

“The fatwa removes the need to attend prayers on Friday in mosques, and authorises having them at home, to protect the people from coronavirus.”

Kuwait confirmed 20 additional cases in the past 24 hours, reporting a total of 100 by Friday, the state news agency KUNA said.