A catholic church has banned holy water and the sign of peace over fears of spreading coronavirus.
St Cuthbert’s church in Hamilton set out their temporary guidelines on Monday as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says a “significant” increase in confirmed cases is expected.
Communion will also only be taken by hand and the Lay Faithful will not receive the precious blood while the crisis continues.
Scotland’s first diagnosed case of the virus that is sweeping the globe was confirmed on Sunday.
Sturgeon, who was involved in a COBRA meeting with Boris Johnson over the crisis, also confirmed that the Scottish Government is preparing for “the worst case scenario”.
Bishop of Motherwell RT Rev. Joseph Toal issued the guidance that was shared on the St Cuthbert’s Primary School’s social media channels.
He said: “As the possibility of the coronavirus affecting us in Scotland appears to be growing, I think it is prudent to make comment on it and to take some precautionary measures.”
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