Due to the coronavirus, there will be no holy water and handshakes in the temples of Hungary

The Hungarian Catholic Episcopal Conference ordered to empty holy water vessels in temples. The measures being taken to prevent the coronavirus infection in the country were announced on Thursday. 
In particular, they urged to refrain from handshakes and hugs during mass. The measures also include regular airing of the premises, including confession rooms. Priests and parishioners are urged to rub their hands with hand sanitizer or alcohol before and after mass.
It was also reported that if the authorities impose a ban on mass events, it could also apply to major church events. Church organization leaders say that all anti-epidemiological rules should be followed to prevent the spread of the dangerous infection.
Similar rules have been introduced in churches in other countries. Thus, in the temples of France they changed the communion rite, where the parishioners temporarily will not be taking communion from the vessel with wine.
Archbishop Michel Opet has ordered clergy to take a number of steps that will reduce the risk of the coronavirus spread in the Catholic churches of Paris. From now on, during the traditional communion ceremony, people should take the host from the priest’s hands. Also, parishioners will not receive communion from the vessel with wine, instead they will dip wafer in wine, after which the communion will be given to the believers.
However, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine stated that the coronavirus is not transmitted through communion.
This was stated by Metropolitan of the PCU Dmytro Rudyuk, who wrote about it on Facebook. According to him, other ways of communion are nothing but blasphemy. He believes that the traditional communion, during which believers drink wine from one spoon, does not contribute to the spread of the virus. He urged not to cause panic among people and not to come up with alternative ways of communion.  
Mukachevo.net