UOC hierarch makes a statement on quarantine

Metropolitan Filaret (Kucherov). Photo: pravoslavie.ru

On November 13, 2020, the head of the UOC Synodal Department for Health and Pastoral Care of Medical Institutions, Metropolitan Filaret (Kucherov) of Lviv and Galicia published an appeal regarding the spread of coronavirus, reports the official website of the Lviv Eparchy.

According to Vladyka, “now we are experiencing the second wave of the pandemic, which epidemiologists had warned us about in advance. Sadly, we must admit that we came to it unprepared. The occupancy of beds in supporting hospitals in some regions reaches 110%, there are no free beds, and if there are free beds, then not all of them are equipped with oxygen points, there is not enough oxygen, oxygen concentrators."

“But worst of all, there is a catastrophic shortage of doctors and lower-level doctors, so COVID-19 has affected almost 17,000 medical workers, since the beginning of the pandemic, 150 medical workers have died. The medical staff are working to the limit, people are exhausted and massively resign,” said the Metropolitan.

He stressed that “from all sides, through the media, doctors highlight the need to use protective equipment – to wear masks, wash hands more often, use disinfectants and maintain social distance. But for some reason, people have already stopped paying attention to these calls and are increasingly allowing themselves to appear in transport and public places without a mask or wear a mask incorrectly."

“Unfortunately, we see a similar situation in churches, some priests and believers do not just ignore the wearing of masks but also allow themselves to be sick attending services and expose their neighbours to illness,” says Vladyka.

“Instead of listening to doctors who risk their lives every day to save the lives of patients in COVID wards of hospitals, people are following the calls of some pseudo-specialists who say that masks do not protect against the penetration of the virus and therefore there is no need to wear them. .. These advisers give false information and push a person to an internal unreasonable rebellion,” the hierarch said.

However, Metropolitan Filaret stressed, “physicians wear masks all the time in their professional activity. Operating teams in hospitals may not take off the mask for up to 12 hours during the operation, doctors in COVID wards wear them throughout the day, saving people who find it difficult to put on a mask for 1 hour in transport or a store. "

He also pointed out that “there have been calls not to implement the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and WHO, that the requirement to wear masks violates the freedom of citizens. Much has been said about this, but I repeat once again: because many people have COVID-19 without visible symptoms, the carrier of the virus does not know that he/she is infected, therefore, without wearing a mask, they infect everyone around them. And these people may have chronic diseases, weakened immunity, and for them, infection with coronavirus can lead to serious consequences. "

That is why he turned to people who do not consider it necessary to wear a mask: “I am addressing people who do not consider it necessary to wear a mask: keep in mind that you harm the health of people who you have infected, make them seriously ill disabled people, and maybe kill them. You deliberately disregard the commandments of the Lord: "... love your neighbour as yourself" (Luke 10:27) and "do not kill" (Ex. 20, 13) ".

Vladyka believes that those who do not wear masks do not love their neighbours, but love only themselves: "It is thanks to you that the number of infected people is increasing, it is thanks to you that hospitals are overcrowded, and doctors are working at the limit of the possible."

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I want to ask you to take into account the dire situation in our country with the coronavirus pandemic and to make every effort to personally help stop this medical collapse, in which you and I now find ourselves. And for this, one should not listen to various demagogues, but rely on the opinion of professionals who use the data of evidence-based medicine studies,” the bishop said.

“Be responsible! Let us remember that you and I are Christians, our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us love, mercy and sacrifice, and “whatever you want people to do to you, so you do for them” (Matthew 7,12),” the Metropolitan reminded Filaret.

He also noted that in these difficult times it is necessary to "strengthen our common prayer for each other's health, ask the Lord for strength and patience", remember those who died of coronavirus and ask "the merciful Lord, His Virgin Mother and the patron saints of doctors for their all-mighty help for our physicians."

As reported earlier, a weekend quarantine is being introduced in Ukraine from November 14.

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