26 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARСH 26, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
сoronavirus
Houses of worship across the New York City make
adjustments to curb the spread of coronavirus
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
As small businesses and nonprofi t
organizations throughout the city suffer
Photo via Facebook/The Greek Orthodox Shrine Church of
St. Nicholas
The Greek Orthodox Shrine Church of St.
Nicholas, located at 196-10 Northern Blvd. in
Flushing.
economic harm from the coronavirus
pandemic, religious institutions are
also enduring the same fate ahead of the
upcoming holy season of Easter, Passover
and Ramadan.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis,
the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Brooklyn and Queens on March 16
waived Sunday Mass attendance obligations
for Catholics in both boroughs until
further notice.
Following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s ban
on gatherings of more than 500 people,
which includes houses of worship, the
faith community has made some adjustments,
such as streaming their weekend
services on the internet.
Paul Palesty, pastor of the Greek
Orthodox Shrine Church of St. Nicholas,
located at 196-10 Northern Blvd. in
Flushing, said their congregants have
been viewing a livestream of their scheduled
services on Facebook.
“Our concern would be that everyone
is safe and our seniors especially because
they’re the most vulnerable,” Palesty said.
“Th is COVID-19 is a dreadful thing, but
at the same time it’s bringing blessings too
— families are able to stay home together,
rediscovering each other, parents are with
their children. Th ere are positive things
that are coming from this and am praying
that everyone is safe and free of this
disease.”
St. Nicholas has closed its parochial
school that has about 600 enrolled students,
Palesty said. Additionally, meetings
at the church have been suspended and
its athletic programs until further notice.
As for their Easter schedule on April
19, which is celebrated one week aft er
the western Easter, Palesty said they’re
unsure about the upcoming Holy Week
and Easter services.
“We’re very saddened by these things
and it presents a great fi nancial challenge
to the parish too,” Palesty said. “Our festival
is our number one fundraiser for
our parish programs and ministries, and
if we’re not going to have these services,
we’re not going to raise these monies —
just like restaurants, many people are suffering
economically and so is the church.”
Brett Younger, senior minister of
Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights,
shared Palesty’s sentiments.
“It’s going to continue to be diffi cult
because some churches are hanging on,”
Younger said. “My church is not threatened
to the level like some are — they’re
hanging on by the thread and will be
forced to make choices about what to keep
and what not too. It seems pretty likely
that some small churches with a limited
budget may be the end for some.”
Th e Plymouth Church school has been
suspended and group gatherings, such as
Bible study, have been canceled until further
notice.
According to Younger, it’s a painful but
interesting time for churches since they’re
being forced to innovate, even for those
who have resisted innovation.
“I think that in some ways, churches
have been behind on technology and
this will push them to catch up, and this
will be a small gift from a terrible time,”
Younger said. “We’re doing online worship,
and we have a tiny group of people
worshipping in the sanctuary and other
groups of people gathered around their
laptops.”
For Younger, the coronavirus pandemic
is a time to be still and grateful fi nding
ways to help those that are in need.
“Th ere will come a time where we’re
past this and become more of the people
we need to be through this terrible painful
opportunity to get better,” Younger said.
“Th ere’s going to be a bunch of things
taken from us that we’re going to be grateful
for, such as getting a hug from friends,
having dinner at a restaurant, walking to
school, a shelf fi lled with toilet paper or
worshipping at a congregation that you
love.”
Meanwhile, the Muslim Community
Center in Manhattan has canceled its
Ramadan program in April. It’s a special
time during the month for Muslims as
they gather in large groups for prayers and
dinner, aft er fasting throughout the day.
“Our center has ift ar (dinner) every single
night in Ramadan, the nightly prayers
every single night, and we always invite
a scholar from out of state to be with us
during this special month for spiritual
support and knowledge,” the center said
in a statement to QNS. “As of now, everything
has been erased and refunded.”
According to the center, it has been a
complete devastation to the Muslim community
where they all gather under one
roof once a year for the purpose of a spiritual
connection with the lord.
“As of today, we are hoping that remaining
at home can fi ll the void we are experiencing
being away from the House of
God. We truly have to turn our homes
into a makeshift mosque with our family
members, so maybe there’s a reason this is
happening aft er all,” the center said.
Th e center has suspended all future
activities and prayers until further notice.
Here’s what New Yorkers can and can’t do while in quarantine
BY ALEX MITCHELL
amitchell@schnepsmedia.
com
@QNS
As New York state goes
on a formal pause that
temporarily prohibits all but
essential services, it is important
to understand what can and
can’t do in a state of quarantine
while healthy.
For starters, being in quarantine
is diff erent than being in
self-isolation — that term is
reserved for those who are
already sick a n d
should not be
m a k i n g
p u b l i c
appearances
routinely, according to the
Cleveland Clinic. Th ose who are
sick have been advised by New
York state to only leave home
for medical appointments following
a telehealth meeting,
in which medical professionals
deemed it in
that individual’s
best interest.
Under a
state of quarantine,
leaving
your
home and
g o i n g
o u t -
side is
accept -
able, but
w i t h i n
the context of using good judgment.
“Individuals should limit outdoor recreational
activities to non-contact and
avoid activities where they come in close
contact with other people,” according to
a recent NYS release.
If you want to go on that run or have to
go shopping, just make sure you’re not
coming in contact with anyone to the
best of your ability. Otherwise, groups
of people should only come together if
they’re providing essential services.
Even if working for one of the listed
essential services, there is a requirement
to maintain a social distancing protocol.
Th at means remaining at least six feet
away from others at all times. It is also
advised to limit and avoid using public
transit when possible. If you are riding,
then do what you can to also remain six
feet away from fellow passengers.
Young people are asked to avoid populations
that are particularly vulnerable
to COVID-19, such as the elderly
and those with pre-existing medical
conditions.
Houses of worship are not mandated
to close, though it is advised for congregative
services to not be held at this
time. Any non-essential gatherings like
parties or other social events have been
ordered canceled by the state of New
York until further notice. Otherwise, it
is in your best interest to stay at home
and self-monitor.
Even New York City acknowledged
that staying home for extended lengths
could cause you to feel “sad, anxious or
overwhelmed, or have other symptoms
of distress, such as trouble sleeping,”
according to a February release from the
health department.
If feeling any mental health distress
while confi ned to your home, NYC
advises you to call 888-NYC-WELL
(888-692-9355) or text “WELL” to 65173
to speak with a mental health professional.
Photo by Todd Maisel
Lines at Costco in Sunset Park stretched around the corner
as people with fears of being forced to quarantine lined up
for food and paper goods to withstand the 14 day potential
waiting period.
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