Coronavirus: HSE advises mass-goers not to shake hands to stop virus spread

Health officials have advised that the sign of peace handshake at religious services should be suspended to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Coronavirus: HSE advises mass-goers not to shake hands to stop virus spread

Dr John Bosco Conama: none of the essential advice on the coronavirus is being made available in a way that deaf people can easily understand.”
Dr John Bosco Conama: none of the essential advice on the coronavirus is being made available in a way that deaf people can easily understand.”

Health officials have advised that the sign of peace handshake at religious services should be suspended to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

They are also suggesting that holy water fonts should not be used as the disease appears to spread easily between people.

The HSE has suggested that priests should give the congregation permission to carry out an alternative sign of peace that does not involve physical contact.

Mass-goers, instead, should smile, nod, or bow, it said.

As concerns grow about Covid-19, the health authority is advising that people who are ill should not attend religious services.

It is also advising that parishioners who are in self-isolation because they are at increased risk of getting Covid-19 should not be visited by clergy.

The HSE also addressed physical interaction during religious services, including the sign of peace.

The HSE said that physical interaction, such as the sign of peace, is considered low risk. However, because Covid-19 is a new disease the health authority believes “extreme caution” must be exercised to limit the spread of the virus.

There is an added concern because current information suggests the virus can spread easily between people and could spread from an infected person even before they develop any symptoms.

“For these reasons, we suggest that physical interaction during religious services, including the sign of peace, should be suspended,” advises the HSE.

Health officials have also advised the suspension of shaking hands at the start of religious ceremonies and said that those administering Holy Communion should wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand gel before the host is distributed.

Holy Communion hosts should be put directly into the hands only and not onto the tongue.

The use of communal vessels should also be suspended to avoid the risk of spreading infection, they advised.

Only the celebrant should drink from the chalice and alternatives to the direct sharing of the chalice, including dipping the Communion wafer into the chalice, should also be avoided.

The Archdiocese of Dublin said it will follow the HSE’s guidelines and has circulated copies to all of its parishes.

The Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor also circulated copies of the HSE guidelines.

The HSE also referred to arrangements for parochial activities and social religious gatherings on church premises.

It said such activities should follow sensible practices, including hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene.

“Posters or notices formally stating any guidance or changes in practice should be displayed and appropriate leaflets should be circulated,” recommends the HSE.

It also suggests that while the guidance describes several practices specific to Christian religious services, people from other religious groups could adapt the advice to their specific requirements.

Meanwhile, Dr John Bosco Conama, Independent candidate for Seanad Éireann, has criticised the lack of information on the coronavirus for those whose first language is Irish Sign Language (ISL).

The HSE issued information on its website and through social media, though none of this has been translated into ISL.

Mr Conama said: “The failure to take such simple actions to ensure that deaf people are properly informed could expose us all to unnecessary risks.

“Members of the deaf community are tired of being excluded. Minister Harris has taken to Twitter and has issued statements urging people to inform themselves on the facts of the virus, and on the precautions that we should take to help contain the virus should it arrive in Ireland, but none of that essential advice is being made available in a way that deaf people can easily understand.”

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