As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum
To our Community members and attendees,
We hope you are all keeping well,
Tonight being the night of the 15th of Sha’bān, we ask you to pray for all of mankind and seek from the Almighty that we are all relieved of this difficult situation. On the upcoming birth anniversary of the Imām of our time, Imām Mahdi (atfs), we would like to wish you all Wilādat Mubārak.
In this week’s teleconference, the COVID-19 Crisis Task Force discussed the latest updates in our health climate. Many experts have put together models, analyzing whether the current measures we are taking, as a country, are helping reduce the number of cases, and ultimately, the number of deaths.
While no prediction can be made on when the pandemic will end and when we will resume to our normal way of life, it is unanimous that the measures we are taking are helping, and so we urge everyone to continue contributing to flattening the curve, by staying at home, avoiding non-essential travel, practicing physical distancing and personal hygiene.
There is some evidence that people infected with COVID-19 can transmit the virus for 2-3 days before they develop symptoms and that people who have the virus but never develop symptoms (are asymptomatic) are able to transmit the virus as well.
The best way to avoid getting the COVID-19 virus is to stay at home.
If you must go out for essential reasons:
WEARING A MASK / FACE COVERING
When you go out, consider wearing a face covering or a non-medical grade mask as an “additional measure” to protect other people in situations where physical distancing is difficult to maintain, e.g. in public transit, at the pharmacy, at the doctor’s office or in the grocery store, etc.
**Do not use medical grade face masks (N-95) as these are in short supply and should be reserved for front-line healthcare workers. Use what is readily available in your homes that are 100% cotton, like scarfs, bandanas, etc.
THE BENEFITS OF WEARING A MASK/FACE COVERING
WHEN AND HOW TO WEAR A MASK/FACE COVERING
HELPFUL RESOURCES
1. Public Health Ontario – When and How to Wear a Mask
2. Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Prevention and risks – Wearing Masks
3. CDC: Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
4. World Health Organization: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: When and how to use masks
With Salāms & Du’ās
ISIJ Secretariat Office
Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto
905.695.9786 | [email protected]