COVID-19: Dalai Lama temple to close for devotees, Kashag issues urgent appeal

DHARAMSALA, 17 March: The office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday announced that Tsuglagkhang, the main temple will be closed for devotees from tomorrow.

“In view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, as well as precautionary measures being taken by various Indian government authorities, including the imposition of Section 144 by the Kangra District administration, the Main Tibetan Temple  (Tsuglhakhang) will be closed from tomorrow until April 15 (subject to further notice),” read a notice issued earlier today by the office.

Similarly, the Kashag(Cabinet) of the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) also issued an urgent appeal “keeping in mind the severity of the Wuhan-originated Covid-19 outbreak” and urged all the “monasteries, schools, elderly care homes under its jurisdiction in India, Nepal and Bhutan to cancel all gatherings for one month.”

The Tibetan Cabinet further instructed the institutions to implement the following guidelines for a minimum of one month along with the guidelines issued by the respective state governments;

• All the monasteries to cancel any gathering for one month and to quarantine any outside visitors for two weeks. 
• All boarding and day schools to be closed for a minimum of one month. 
• Elderly care homes to restrict all outside visitors except for the staffs and nurses. 
• To refrain from holding any meetings, training programs and workshops for one month. 
• All the staff members of the Central Tibetan Administration, both at the central as well as at the regional level, to postpone all official visits. 
• Except for prayer service to be held for any deceased, all other gatherings such as for marriages, picnics or sports must be cancelled until 31st March 2020. 
• We urge anyone with symptoms related to the disease, such as fever, dry cough and sore throat to seek immediate medical help.  

According to worldometers.com, there are 184,116  COVID-19 cases across the world which have resulted in 7,182 deaths while 79,904 of those infected have recovered.

The number of people infected by COVID-19 in India has climbed to 126 with three reported death due to the infection of the Wuhan originated COVID-19.

No coronavirus case has been detected in Kangra district so far.