Church of England closes all its buildings immediately in battle against coronavirus meaning church weddings and funerals are cancelled
- Funerals will no longer take place in Church of England buildings from today
- Baptisms will only be performed in ’emergencies’ in hospitals or private homes
- Churches had remained open after public worship was suspended on March 17
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The Church of England has closed all of its buildings with immediate effect in order to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Funerals will no longer take place on CofE property while baptisms will only be performed in ’emergencies’ in hospitals or private homes, it was said.
The move comes as Boris Johnson last night ordered the closure of all shops selling non-essential goods, as well as playgrounds and churches in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.
Addressing the nation from Downing Street, the Prime Minister banned gatherings of more than two people and said family reunions, weddings, baptisms and other social events must be cancelled to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain of the pandemic.
The Church of England has closed all of its buildings with immediate effect in order to limit the spread of coronavirus (Pictured: A church gate in Earlsfield, south-west London today)
Public worship and Sunday services were suspended by officials on March 17, but churches had remained open for private prayer.
Bishops in London shut churches in the capital on Sunday amid a growing number of confirmed cases of the virus.
Today, archbishops and bishops wrote to the clergy to explain only buildings being used as foodbanks could now remain open.
The letter said: ‘We must take a lead in showing our communities how we must behave in order to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
‘We must also do all that we can to provide resources and support for those who are isolated, fearful and vulnerable. But we have to do this from our homes.’
People walk in the sunshine at Battersea Park in South West London today on the first day of the UK coronavirus shutdown
A packed London Underground Central line train this morning as commuters still use public transport today
The UK’s coronavirus death toll jumped by 83 to 422 today in the nation’s biggest daily rise yet, with 8,000 patients now known to have the infection.
Police officers were forced to break up barbecues held across the country as Britons flouted new draconian powers to disperse crowds of more than two to halt the spread of coronavirus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also today launched a drive for a 250,000 strong ‘volunteer army’ to boost the NHS and stop it being swamped amid the coronavirus crisis.
He said he wanted helpers to come forward to bolster local services – as he also revealed that a new hospital, the NHS Nightingale, is being created at the Excel centre in London.
A woman runs on an empty street outside the Houses of Parliament in central London as the UK enters the first day of lockdown to try to slow the spread of the Coronavirus
A cyclist wearing a face mask rides across an almost deserted Westminster Bridge in central London today
Mr Johnson last night said people must only leave their homes for essential supplies, medical help, or to travel to work if it is ‘absolutely’ unavoidable under the new measures.
Going out for exercise will be allowed once a day, but parks will be patrolled to make sure there is no abuse of these rules.
Mr Hancock said home is now the ‘front line’ in the fight against coronavirus, as he urged people to come together to reduce the number of people in the UK who will die from the spread of the infection.
But he issued a stark warning, saying stricter measures introduced by the Prime Minister on Monday were not advice but rules that must be followed.
He told MPs in the Commons: ‘The spread of coronavirus is rapidly accelerating across the world and in the UK.
‘The actions we took yesterday are not actions that any UK government would want to take but they are absolutely necessary. Our instruction is simple: stay at home.’