Jakarta worshippers practice social distancing

Jakarta's main mosque cancelled mass prayers on Friday, as part of social distancing measures in Indonesia to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Few worshippers attended prayers, with one metre spacing between one another as recommended, where they were informed of the action "to prevent the transmission" by the mosque's administrator.

Istiqlal Mosque is the largest Islamic place of worship in Southeast Asia, with usually thousands of Muslims arriving for Friday prayers.

The decision was made following a nationwide ruling or fatwa issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country's highest religious authority on Monday, allowing Muslims to temporarily skip mass prayers until the situation returns to normal.

Indonesia has reported 25 deaths from the COVID-19 disease and currently has 311 confirmed cases of the virus.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.