On Wednesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a ban on indoor gatherings of 100 people or more. Outdoor gatherings of 500 people or more had been banned since Monday. It came as the government also urged Australians not to travel overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Highlights:
- The federal government has banned indoor gatherings of 100 people or more.
- Hindu temples have also seen a drop in the number of visitors recently.
- Many religious institutions have cancelled their activities and events.
It is critical Australia “can keep functioning and importantly, keep delivering the important services that are necessary which, at the end of the day, mean that we can support the most vulnerable in our community who are most at risk from the effects of the coronavirus”, he said.
The strict new measures have affected the activities of many religious institutions and centres. Many Hindu temples across Australia are already implementing the changes by cancelling weekly events and informing devotees to avoid gatherings.
Many have cancelled their regular events; Swaminarayan Temple has cancelled its weekly Sunday assemblies in its temples in Sydney and Melbourne.
Source: Supplied
Praful Jethwa, the spokesperson for BAPS - the organisation that manages the temples, says it wanted to follow all the restrictions to ensure the health and safety of people.
“Assemblies, classes, events and activities at all mandirs and centres have been suspended until further notice. Mandir Darshan is available at certain times only; however, those over 60 years of age or the ill should not visit any mandirs,” Mr Jethwa told SBS Hindi.
He says the Swaminarayan Temple has opted for online assembly instead.
Durga Temple in Melbourne has closed it's kitchen operations. The temple committee secretary Neeraj Kalia says our priority at the moment is to maintain the health and safety of all who visit the temple.
"To ensure the safety of the devotees, a task force has been formed to monitor the situation and take corrective action. We have stopped distributing cooked food as Prasad (temple offerings) too. Religious activities such as Chaunki and Jagran have been suspended and no bhajan and kirtan (singing of religious hyms) will take place," Mr Kalia told SBS Hindi.
'Webcasting' weekly assembly
“We are webcasting our weekly assembly. The assembly last Sunday was webcast, and thousands of people from their homes across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and many other cities joined in,” he said.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement in Sydney has also suspended its regular Sunday feast and advised people not to visit the temples if they are feeling sick or worried about catching the coronavirus.
Source: Supplied
Many temples have also seen a drop in the number of visitors recently.
Catholic, Anglican, Muslim authorities issue guidance on Covid-19
In a letter to Catholics, the Archbishop of Sydney, Most Rev. Anthony Fisher, reassured Catholics, said that "where public Masses have to be suspended, a dispensation from attending Mass is granted and Catholics will be able to fulfil their Sunday Mass obligation by setting aside some time for prayer at home, reading the Scriptures of the day and watching Mass on television or online."
The Anglican Church in Sydney has postponed all public gatherings indefinitely and is also encouraging its churches "to consider providing their services online or by other communication methods."
Woolworths has allowed the elderly access to early morning shopping ahead of the general public due to panic buying as Covid-19 fears mount. Source: AAP
Australian Muslims have also been not to attend Friday prayers and instead pray at home to prevent more spreading of the coronavirus.
As of Tuesday afternoon, only people who have recently travelled from overseas or have been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case and experienced symptoms within 14 days are advised to be tested.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
