Hawzah News Agency - (Hamburg - Germany) - The Imam Ali (AS) Islamic Center in Hamburg, Germany, has called off the Itikaf (religious retreat) rituals of the lunar Hijri month of Rajab.

The center said the spread of the novel coronavirus in some European countries and the need for protecting the health of the faithful is the reason for the decision.

The Itikaf rituals were planned to be held on March 8-10 at the center’s mosque.

Itikaf is a form of worship performed by staying in a mosque for a certain time.

It is a tradition which has been in Islam from the first days of the Revelation.

As of Tuesday, China’s National Health Commission reported 77,658 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 2,663 deaths nationwide.

Austria is the second European country that has confirmed its cases of coronavirus.

South Korea, Italy and Iran have all recorded a sharp uptick in cases of the coronavirus in recent days, with many other countries imposing travel restrictions on virus-hit areas worldwide.