Bangkok – Buddhists were advised not to visit temples for activities to mark the Visakha Bucha Day on May 6.
Prime Minister’s Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop gave the advice and said that the Sangha Supreme Council canceled all activities that had usually been organized at temples to mark the VesakhaBucha Day in order to prevent crowd gathering and control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The activities included merit-making and candle-lit processions at temples.
“Many temples organize prayers and candle-lit processions via live broadcasting on Facebook. This year is special. People can still make merit this way. It is considered as joint efforts to reduce the number of COVID-19 patients. It is also aimed at protecting yourself from contracting the disease from other people,” Mr Tewan said.
On May 5, the minister visited Wat That Thong to inspect food and consumer product handouts to people. The distribution responds to an instruction from the Supreme Patriarch. Handouts have been organized there twice a day since March 30.
Mr Tewan said the government was helping people affected by COVID-19 and imposing disease control and treatment measures that could curb the number of COVID-19 patients and allow most of about 3,000 local cases to recover. Only about 100 patients remained at hospitals, he said.
The most important factor to control the disease was public participation, he emphasized. (TNA)
 |
 |
 |
