While the circuit breaker measures have made physical gatherings virtually impossible, religious groups will continue interfaith learning and understanding through online sharing, seminars and meet-ups.
Yesterday, members of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) took an inter-religious pledge to uphold their commitment to maintaining solidarity in crisis.
They also made a commitment to strengthen the nation's social defence, by showing appreciation for front-line workers, disseminating accurate and reliable information, as well as supporting efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak by adjusting their rituals and practices.
The pledge, held in conjunction with IRO Day 2020, which marks the organisation's 71st anniversary, took place via videoconferencing platform Zoom. The event was attended by about 100 people.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, who was guest of honour for the event, noted that the circuit breaker measures, which include the closure of places of worship and columbaria, have presented religious leaders with "great challenges". These come on top of other measures such as the suspension of all religious services.
"It was a difficult decision to close places of worship, suspend religious services and cancel major religious celebrations. It is also heart-wrenching not to be able to say goodbye to loved ones who have passed away, as funeral rituals can only involve a very small group," she said.
It has been harder for religious leaders to support followers even though their spiritual needs have been growing, she added.
But Covid-19 has also presented Singaporeans with an opportunity to practise their religions in new and creative ways, she said, citing Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery's use of technology to live-stream the Qing Ming Festival ritual, as well as churches doing the same for Easter services.
Ms Fu thanked religious leaders for their wisdom and leadership amid the crisis, and in adapting to the measures despite difficulties.
Because of this and the efforts of others, the number of new local cases has come down, she said.
But she noted that the coronavirus has sparked a wave of discrimination and prejudice in other parts of the world.
In India, a Muslim missionary group that held its annual conference in New Delhi was linked to dozens of Covid-19 cases.
Videos that falsely claimed to show members of the group spitting on police and others - suggesting that Muslims were weaponising the coronavirus to target Hindus - went viral on social media. That has heightened sectarian tensions in the country, noted Ms Fu.
In China, a recent cluster of Covid-19 cases linked to the Nigerian community sparked a wave of xenophobia against Africans, with some becoming targets of forced evictions and suspicion.
Singapore is not immune to the occurrence of such events, Ms Fu said. Racist and insensitive comments have been directed at foreign workers, blaming them for the rapid spread of Covid-19. A man was also recently accused of hurling racist remarks at a Chinese storekeeper and attributing the source of the virus to the Chinese.
Ms Fu urged religious leaders to stay united against such forces of hatred. "We must guard against and put a stop to these divisive forces. The coronavirus does not distinguish between race, religion, language or nationality. The solution to this pandemic will not come through divisive agendas, but solidarity and cooperation," she said.
The IRO's pledge yesterday builds on a commitment made at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies in June last year. More than 250 religious organisations here signed a commitment to safeguard religious harmony in the wake of growing inter-ethnic tensions across the globe.
The IRO is represented by 10 faiths: the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism.
