Avoid serving food in funerals — PCEA Church announces measures to fight Coronavirus

The Presbyterian Church of East Africa on Tuesday announced several measures it had taken to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

The church suspended meetings at all levels for the next three weeks and asked members to avoid religious gatherings, retreats and seminars.

PCEA stated that funeral services should be attended by family members and discouraged viewing of the body at the mortuary.

“The entourage should go straight to the graveside or an open field where a short service of not more than one hour will be conducted.

“Avoid food being served in funerals. Sanitisers or soap and clean water should be provided,” read the statement in part.

The church also asked its members to take care of the old (above 70years) and the young ones.

“Visit them only when it is necessary and the number of visitors should be restricted,” said the church.

Coronavirus cases have climbed to over 400 across Africa with nations across the continent imposing a range of measures to try to prevent the spread.

Following the outbreak of the highly contagious virus, the Chinese billionaire and co-founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, donated 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 protective suits to each African country to help the fight against coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is a "defining global health crisis of our time", and urged countries to test all suspected cases.

Globally, the virus has now infected more than 190,000 people and killed at least 7,989.

African states have imposed wide-ranging and stringent new measures as the coronavirus begins to spread more rapidly across the continent.

Some of the measures include closing schools, banning large gatherings and shutting borders in an effort to combat the spread of the virus.