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:

• Remain physically distanced from others even if they do not have symptoms.
• Upon returning home, immediately wash your hands and consider changing into a new outfit and put the clothes you wore while out into the laundry and then wash your hands again.

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

1. Masks may stop your own droplets from reaching another person while you are talking to them.
2. Masks may also stop the person wearing it from touching their faces and this decreases chances of spreading the virus to your eyes/nose/mouth.  However, some may be inclined to touch their face even more to put on, adjust, or take off the mask.
3. Masks will not prevent you from getting the COVID-19 virus and so wearing one does NOT make it safe for you to return to normal social interactions. It is important to continue to practice physical distancing, strong hand hygiene and sneezing and coughing etiquette.
4. It is very important to know how to wear these masks safely as you can get the virus on your hands from a contaminated mask itself if worn or handled  incorrectly. Proper technique is important (see below)

WHEN AND HOW TO WEAR A MASK/FACE COVERING

• Before putting on a mask/face covering, clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
• Cover your mouth and nose with a mask/face cover and make sure there are minimal gaps between your face and the mask.
• Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with  soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
• Replace the mask/face covering with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
• To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin or put in the laundry bin; clean hands with  soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub

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

ISIJ Secretariat Office
Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto
905.695.9786 | [email protected]