Pilgrims asked to wear masks when visiting pagodas and temples

Vietnam’s Buddhist Sangha has requested pilgrims to wear face masks to prevent the contraction and contagion of Covid-19, even while praying, VnExpress reported. 

Illustrative photo by VnExpress.

The request is stated in documents on preventing and combating coronavirus at places of worship, signed by superior monk Thich Duc Thien, vice chairman and general secretary of the Vietnam’s Buddhist Sangha earlier this week. 

Accordingly, temples, pagodas and other worship facilities are required to follow strictly the measures regulated by the Ministry of Health. “It is essential to disseminate the skills on nCoV prevention. Each Buddhist follower has to regard prevention skill dissemination a responsibility for oneself and the community,” the Sangha’s directive said.

Religious sites must provide masks and teach the followers how to wear them as well as wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer correctly while the Buddist sermons ought to include the warnings of the epidemic. 

Buddhist temples across the country are asked to prepare plans to coordinate with medical facilities to take care, soon detect the infected people who must be taken to hospitals and quarantine areas. 

Pilgrims are warned to stay away from dangerous areas, especially the epidemic-hit areas namely Tam Dao, Binh Xuyen and Tam Duong in Vinh Phuc province. 

Vietnam’s Buddhist Sangha also asked Buddhist temples to halt all festivals and worship courses which congregate large numbers of pilgrims from all over the country. However, the daily prayers at independent monasteries are allowed. 

The World Health Organization denominated the disease as Covid-19 on February 11, explaining that “co” is the abbreviation of corona while “vi” and “d” are in short of virus and disease respectively. 

At the time of writing, there have been 60,062 infected cases worldwide and 1,355 deaths. Vietnam has reported 15 infections and no fatalities.