UPDATE (20 May): Although places of worship are given the green light to reopen for prayers in small groups after 1 Jun, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Waterloo Street will remain closed.
A spokesperson from the temple informed Lianhe Zaobao that they will be closed till further notice.
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As the Covid-19 outbreak continues to escalate, many religious associations have cancelled events and gatherings to avoid contact between devotees.
On Wednesday (25 Mar), the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, located in Rochor, announced that devotees will be closed from Friday (27 Mar).
According to the notice, the decision to close the temple was made in light of the restrictions advised by the government against “gatherings, crowds, and religious services”.
The temple recognises the severity of the outbreak and will be temporarily closing its premises to the public from this Friday (27 Mar).
This closure will last until the “Covid-19 situation improves”.
The Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Board apologises for the inconvenience caused and wishes devotees good health during the health crisis.
Just last week, the Buddhist temple banned the practice of shaking lottery poetry (求签) in its premises, presumably to minimise the chances of devotees spreading the coronavirus.
The escalation in preventive measures likely reflects the rising number of cases reported of late as well as the stricter guidelines the government has introduced.
While the closure of the popular temple is likely to cause inconvenience for devotees, we are certain they understand the need for sure measures, given the serenity of the outbreak.
Let this be a reminder for all to observe good personal hygiene and to avoid crowded places during these unprecedented times.
The sooner we get over this, the sooner all of us can resume normalcy with our lives.
Featured image adapted from TripAdvisor.
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