Religious places step up precautions amid coronavirus scare

From avoiding handshakes to modifying traditional religious practices, churches in Goa are taking various measures in view of coronavirus scare while priests at various temples have started wearing masks.

Apart from restricting flow of Holy Water at stoups, many churches have stopped offering communion to followers in their mouth as has been the custom.

Communion is the service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared.

Parish priests have emptied out holy water stoups installed at the entrance of churches to avoid them being acting as breeding grounds for any kind of virus.

While holding masses, priests are informing people about various precautions to be taken to keep novel coronavirus at bay. The sermons now also include preaching on food intakes to boost immunity.

Fr Eremito Rebello of the Church of Our Lady of Snow at Rachol village in South Goa said on Tuesday that though there are no formal instructions from the Archbishop''s Palace to adopt any such measures, priests are taking these initiatives on their own.

"Holy water has been temporarily reduced from the entrance of the church to stop any possibility of spread of virus. Also, the Holy communion is not given in mouth but on hand of Christian devotees," he said.

Priests have been asking people to avoid greeting each other with a handshake and rather to offer a smile or bow, he said.

Though not a single case of confirmed novel coronavirus has been reported from the popular tourist state so far, the fear seems to be spreading at temples as well.

Priests at several temples, including famous Mangueshi temple in North Goa, have started wearing masks while on duty.

The state government is taking various measures in view of the coronavirus scare.

The state Health department has kept 19 patients under home observation.

The Mormugao Port Trust has already banned the entry of cruise vessels till March 31 in view of the novel coronavirus threat.