Bishops ban traditional Catholic handshakes amid fears of coronavirus pandemic

Catholic bishops in the country have forthwith banned the traditional handshakes in church and told those counting Sunday money collections to wear face masks amid fears of coronavirus disease attack.

The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) chairperson Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa has announced 23 strong measures aimed at preventing the coronavirus disease which has already attacked South Africa.

Catholics shake each other hands as they wish each other peace during mass.

Msusa also encouraged Catholics to wash their hands before entering the Churches or other places of worship as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“There should be no sign of peace during Mass such as handshake, hug or any bodily contact.

Catholic faithful should line up when receiving Holy Communion not kneeling in order to ensure proper distance between them,” reads the statement in part.

The statement further ordered ministers to thoroughly wash their hands with sanitizers before and after distribution of the eucharist.

The statement also tells those involved in the counting of money to put on face masks.

The church has told worshippers to avoid squeezing each other in pews.

Corona Virus Disease, officially referred to as Covid-19 is an outbreak that has since spread to at least 114 countries across the globe.

It was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. The virus has since killed over 4, 600 people, with infections exceeding 126 000 cases.

On Wednesday this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak as a pandemic. However, Malawi has yet to register a case of the virus.