Bangkok, May 6 (TNA) – Buddhists were advised not to
visit temples for activities to mark the Visakha Bucha Day on May 6.
Prime Minister’s Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop
gave the advice and said that the Sangha Supreme Council canceled all
activities that had usually been organized at temples to mark the Vesakha Bucha
Day in order to prevent crowd gathering and control the coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19).
The activities included merit-making and candle-lit
processions at temples.
“Many temples organize prayers and candle-lit
processions via live broadcasting on Facebook. This year is special. People can
still make merit this way. It is considered as joint efforts to reduce the
number of COVID-19 patients. It is also aimed at protecting yourself from
contracting the disease from other people,” Mr Tewan said.
On May 5, the minister visited Wat That Thong to
inspect food and consumer product handouts to people. The distribution responds
to an instruction from the Supreme Patriarch. Handouts have been organized
there twice a day since March 30.
Mr Tewan said the government was helping people
affected by COVID-19 and imposing disease control and treatment measures that
could curb the number of COVID-19 patients and allow most of about 3,000 local
cases to recover. Only about 100 patients remained at hospitals, he said.
The most important factor to control the disease was
public participation, he emphasized. (TNA)
