By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, March 20, 2020: Cardinal Oswald Gracias, head of the Catholic Church in India, on March 20 urged his people to cooperate wholeheartedly with the people’s curfew called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain coronavirus epidemic.
Cardinal Gracias lauded the prime minister’s public appeal to India’s more than 1.3 billion people to observe a self-imposed curfew on March 22.
“Last evening the prime minister made an appeal to all of us to stay at home on Sunday March 22 in a self-imposed curfew. It is evident that the deadly coronavirus is spreading posing an extremely danger to all,” Cardinal said in a video message circulated through YouTube channel and the Bombay archdiocese’s website.
The cardinal said he has decided to heed the premier’s call and cancel all public Masses in the archdiocese of Mumbai from March 20 to April 4, “in the larger interest of safety of our people which is truly paramount.”
On March 19 at 8 pm, the prime minister appealed Indians to observe the “Janata curfew” (people’s curfew) as a test run for social distancing over the next few days to fight the spread of coronavirus. As part of the self-curfew, Modi said everyone must stay home from 7 am to 9 pm that day and abide by it.
The premier also cautioned citizens against hoarding and panic-buying, assuring that there would be no shortage of essentials like milk, medicines and food.
He also asked people to stand on their doors or balconies for five minutes at 5 pm on that day to applaud those maintaining essential services by ringing bells, sounding sirens and clapping.
The premier says the one-day exercise would help people get used to self-isolating. Stay home unless absolutely essential in the next few weeks, he said, urging determination and restraint.
He also said that he wants the next few weeks from the people to avoid what he called a sudden explosion of the outbreak, after the first few days, as happened in other nations.
Coronavirus, he said, has affected more nations than the World War and the growing challenge posed by the outbreak was not normal.
Cardinal Gracias people said several TV channels would telecast Mass and people could take advantage of them. “But you are not obliged to do so.”
“It is a trying and tense period for all of us we need to turn to God, I am keeping our churches open, for at least a few hours every day to enable those who want to pray privately before the blessed sacraments to do so.
The cardinal reiterated the appeal to say at home, avoiding socializing. He also wants people to be attentive those in need of help.
He also said the government is doing a commendable job and assist it.
The day of cardinal’s appeal saw the number of COVID-19 positive cases in India jump to 223, with at least 50 fresh cases reported on one day. At least four deaths have been linked to the virus in the country so far.
As the country recorded the largest single-day jump since the outbreak began weeks ago, the federal health minister urged people to follow the prime minister’s curfew call. “A day’s cooperation will help break the chain of transmission,” the ministry said.
India is still in Stage 2 of the outbreak, as per the Indian Council for Medical Research. This means transmission is via local means – through individuals who have traveled abroad or their family members or acquaintances, which can be traced. Stage 3 involves community transmission and an exponential growth in the number of cases.