Following the outbreak of the respiratory disease Coronavirus the New Zealand Bishops’ National Liturgy Office have notified parishes about precautions to take to ensure the safety of people gathering for Mass and other parish gatherings and especially receiving Holy Communion.
The notice issued 30 January 2020 said: With New Zealand health officials saying it is highly likely the Wuhan Coronavirus will arrive in our country, every institution and gathering place needs to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of all people. This affects our celebrations of the Mass and other parish gatherings, and especially the reception of Holy Communion.
Should outbreaks of the virus be recorded in New Zealand, up-to-date information and clear procedures will be implemented, but at this time it is sufficient to remind parishioners that:
While it is not necessary at this stage to impose uniform practices this will be done if necessary. At this time all parishioners are asked to take precautions to ensure their own good health and the safety of others. Parishes will be asked to take extra cautions if these are deemed necessary.
Coronavirus was officially renamed on 11 February 2020 by the World Health Organisation as Covid-19 – an abbreviation of CoronaVirus Disease, 2019. The respiratory virus originated in China and the disease has infected more than 79,000 people and killed around 2000.
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