Places of worship join drive to combat spread of deadly virus
CHURCHES, TEMPLES and mosques in Asia have been forced to take protective measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
In a Catholic church in the Philippines, nearly half of the pews were empty for Sunday mass while the few hundred worshippers who showed up were asked to refrain from shaking others’ hands or holding them during prayers to prevent the spread of the virus that started in China.
In Hong Kong, Cardinal John Hon Tong, wearing a mask, announced the suspension of public masses for two weeks and urged churchgoers to instead watch them online.
Buddhist temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques have been ordered closed since January 29 in mainland China, where the new coronavirus strain was first detected in the central city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.
Mosques have cancelled weekly Friday prayers since January under an order to avoid “collective religious activities”.
Religious leaders should encourage Muslims to “trust the party” and avoid crowds, the
Communist Party-controlled body that oversees China’s officially authorised mosques said in a statement.
The virus has killed more than 1,500 people and infected more than 67,000 others, mostly in China, where more than 60 million people have been placed under lockdown. All but three of the deaths have been in China.
Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines have reported one fatality each.
In Japan, where Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are tourist destinations, a sharp decline in the number of foreign visitors has been a palpable setback.
At normally popular Suzumushi, or Crickets, temple, a sign read, “Due to the impact of the Covid-19, no waiting expected,” using the name given to the disease by the World Health Organisation.