Church of England suspends public worship indefinitely
Amid fear over the spread of coronavirus in the United Kingdom, the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced the suspension of public worship until further notice.
This development was contained in a joint letter by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and John Sentamu. They said considering the threat of the novel virus it was ‘necessary to put public services on hold’.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson had announced on Monday that people should stop socialising, work from home, avoid travelling and that whole households should stay in isolation if one person becomes ill.
Boris Johnson said people should work from home where possible as part of a range of stringent new measures.
More than 1,500 people have tested positive for the virus in the UK – but the actual number of cases is estimated to be between 35,000 and 50,000.
Johnson said “drastic action” was needed as the UK approaches “the fast growth part of the upward curve” in the number of cases. He told Londoners to pay special attention to the advice as the virus is spreading more rapidly in the capital than elsewhere.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons the number of people to have died with the virus in England had risen to 53 – and “the disease is now accelerating”.
The first death in Wales, and a death in Scotland, brings the total number of deaths in the UK to 55.
