Churches are warning worshippers that they should stop shaking hands during ‘The Peace’ and avoid kissing the cross during Good Friday services in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The Catholic Church, Church of England and The United Reform Church have all issued guidance on dealing with the outbreak as confirmed cases continue to rise across Britain.
Churchgoers will see changes to their traditions of worship in the coming weeks, and if the outbreak worsens, could see Easter masses cancelled entirely.
The Catholic Bishops Conference has told parishes in England and Wales to suspend congregations if there are a large number of cases of the virus in the local community.
They advised against the tradition that sees many Roman Catholics mark Jesus’ death on Good Friday by kneeling and kissing the cross.
Churchgoers will see changes to their traditions of worship in the coming weeks, and if the outbreak worsens, could see Easter masses cancelled entirely. Pictured: Holy Communion at the Church of St Stephen Walbrook, London
Anyone administering communion has been instructed to avoid placing the wafer directly on the tongue
Other measures include stopping communion being distributed from the chalice and the removal of holy water from stoups.
Church of England guidance, updated daily, said they parishoners with coughs and colds should not accept the communion cup and avoid shaking hands to offer the sign of peace.
It also says hand sanitisers should be available in all churches, and intinction – the dipping of bread in the wine – is not recommended.
In addition, anyone administering communion has been instructed to avoid placing the wafer directly on the tongue.
Church of England guidance, updated daily, said they parishoners with coughs and colds should not accept the communion cup and avoid shaking hands during the Peace
The Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, who is the lead bishop on health care, told the Church Times: ‘Chaplains have an important role in supporting a sense of calm in hospitals and reassuring staff as well as patients.
The Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, who is the lead bishop on health care
‘They also need to reinforce the essential message we are trying to get across to all our parishes: hygiene is fundamental; the importance of hand washing and common sense in terms of contact with other people if there is any hint or evidence of coronavirus symptoms.’
The United Reformed Church is also is offering prevention advice to congregations around the UK on the coronavirus outbreak.
It said medical advice has been sought from Thrive Worldwide, which advises the URC on ministerial health issues,
Thrive Worldwide said: ‘Churches should already be following best hygiene practices that include advising members who are unwell to stay at home, or those with coughs and sneezes to refrain from handshaking.
‘It is also best practice for churches to have hand sanitisers available for members and visitors to use.’
Ministers today launched an advertising blitz featuring a dirty door handle, amid frantic efforts to halt the rise of coronavirus in the UK.
It was confirmed this afternoon that there are now 115 coronavirus cases in Britain
BEWARE DOOR HANDLES, AD CAMPAIGN WARNS
Ministers have launched an advertising blitz featuring a dirty door handle, amid frantic efforts to halt the rise of coronavirus in the UK.
The huge public information campaign will urge the public to wash their hands whenever they arrive somewhere.
The drive is designed to change people’s attitude to hygiene, amid fears the killer infection could become a seasonal problem.
The ad campaign warns that the coronavirus virus can live on hard surfaces for hours
Health chiefs decided to use the door handle picture after tests showed 96 per cent of people remembered the poster because of the disgust factor.
In comparison, only 85 per cent could recall a poster that simply told people to wash their hands, The Times reports.
A Government source told the newspaper: ‘Just information works on a cognitive level. But disgust works on an emotional level.’
It was confirmed this afternoon that there are now 115 coronavirus cases in Britain.
The huge public information campaign will urge the public to wash their hands whenever they arrive somewhere.
The drive is designed to change people’s attitude to hygiene, amid fears the killer infection could become a seasonal problem.
Professor Whitty, who is leading the fight against the disease on British soil, also repeated this morning that there is no need for stockpile of food or medicine.
‘There is no need at this stage to be stocking up on anything,’ he told MPs.
‘This is going to be a long period, there is going to be a lead time before the actual serious take-off of this comes, which we will be able to indicate, and obviously we are working with all the supply chains – in the case of our own department, looking specifically at health products.
‘So, there is nothing in the current environment that would rationally lead someone to want to go out and stock up on stuff.’
Mr Johnson said the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) was considering a range of options to delay the spread of the disease.
‘At the moment what they are telling me is, actually, slightly counter-intuitively, things like closing schools and stopping big gatherings don’t work as well perhaps as people think in stopping the spread,’ he said.
‘One of the theories is perhaps you could take it in on the chin, take it all in one go and allow the disease to move through the population without really taking as many draconian measures. I think we need to strike a balance.
‘I think it would be better if we take all the measures that we can now just to stop the peak of the disease being as difficult for the NHS as it might.’