Displaying items by tag: pandemic

Thursday, 11 March 2021 20:08

China launches ‘virus passport’

To boost international travel, China has launched a digital health certificate programme for citizens with an encrypted QR code that gives authorities a traveller’s health information. QR health codes on smartphone apps are already required to gain entry to domestic transport and many public spaces. The apps track a user’s location and produce a ‘green’ code if a user has not been in close contact with a confirmed case or has not travelled to a virus hotspot. But the system has sparked privacy concerns and fears it marks an expansion of government surveillance. The certificate, launched on 8 March, shows a user’s vaccination status and test results via China’s social media platform WeChat. It will ‘help promote world economic recovery and facilitate cross-border travel’, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Bahrain has introduced a vaccine passport; the USA, UK and EU are considering similar permits.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 04 March 2021 20:59

Hope in the Bible

A recent survey shows that during the pandemic Christians are reading the Bible more; it is having a positive impact on their mental health, wellbeing and hope in the future. Many also found it helped with loneliness, and amazingly 97% of respondents found that it had completely or partly met their reasons for engaging with the Bible. The answers to the multiple open-ended questions in this survey provided a plethora of rich data. Since the pandemic started, 35% had seen their engagement with the Bible increase while only 5% had seen it decline. This was also reflected in the length of time spent with the Bible, which had increased for 27%. Interestingly 54% of those who were engaging more said they were also discussing it more with others.

Published in Praise Reports
Thursday, 04 March 2021 20:36

Lockdown loneliness

Millions have experienced loneliness in our efforts to stay safe and save lives. A survey of UK adults nine months into Covid-19 revealed 24% had feelings of loneliness in the previous fortnight. By March 2021 depression had increased by 240%. Pray for God to watch over the nation and give us perception and peace as we continue to adapt to keeping safe as we come out of lockdown and begin contacting more people. Doing good is good for our mental health. As restrictions ease, may more of us take the opportunity to help someone else feeling lonely. Pray for hope to arise as more people are immunised and as science prepares the way forward for physical and emotional healing, and pray for God to minister spiritual healing.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 25 February 2021 21:41

Prayers for the start of lockdown exit roadmap

Boris Johnson has announced a ‘roadmap’ to loosen restrictions slowly in England. Pray for the schools which will be opening on 8 March. Cases of infection were highest among children when schools fully reopened in September 2020. Ask God to give teachers wisdom as they prepare return strategies; pray for pupils’ protection and parents’ peace of mind. Researchers agree that outdoor gatherings have a low impact on transmission, so by the end of March outdoor gatherings - including some sports - will be allowed. But despite being considered low-risk, the virus is still able to spread outdoors. Pray for people to remember the risks and keep to social distancing in outside gatherings. Finally, contacts between people are more dangerous indoors as particles in the air are replaced less slowly with clean air. Pray for the retail outlets due to open in April to devise wise ‘crowd control’ and hygiene measures that minimise transmission. Pray also for Church leaders as they make the many different church venues safe. See

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 18 February 2021 21:01

NHS staff stress

Work-induced stress is a significant problem in the health service. Health and social care have some of the highest rates of self-reported illness due to stress, anxiety and depression. 1/3rd of ill health in the NHS is stress-related. Two of the many over-stretched UK hospitals are Guy’s and St Thomas’s, caring for hundreds of coronavirus patients, while rolling out the vaccination programme to thousands and continuing to run vital services in the hospitals and the community. Staff are re-deployed to other areas of work, to keep patients safe and support colleagues in the areas under greatest pressure. Everyone is working tirelessly - battling fear, anxiety, flashbacks and exhaustion to tackle this pandemic. A senior nurse on the intensive care unit said nothing could have prepared him and his colleagues for what they are facing. ‘You've been sent to a Covid-19 unit, then suddenly, you're on the front line. It’s just like shell shock. It hits you all of a sudden.’

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 18 February 2021 20:55

Covid myth-busting video

A star-filled video urging people from ethnic minority communities to get the Covid vaccine is being shown across commercial TV channels amid growing concern that black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities in the UK are less likely to get vaccinated. Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, and Romesh Ranganathan are among the celebrities who feature in the video, which was first released online. More stars have been added to the TV version. The BBC’s charter prevents it from taking part, but the issue was raised on BBC TV and radio programmes on 18 February. The video coordinator said, ‘We are in unprecedented times, and this pandemic disproportionately affects people from ethnic minority communities.’ Fake news about the vaccine, which has been a particular problem in the South Asian community, is addressed in the #TakeTheVaccine video.

Published in British Isles

Boris Johnson has said it is ‘absolutely right’ to take a ‘data not dates’ approach to leaving lockdown, stressing that England will ease measures ‘cautiously’. He will set out a road map for easing restrictions on 22 February. Pray for Boris and his advisers to agree on the way forward that God has prepared for us to follow. We can thank God that infection rates are coming down quicker than expected and the vaccination programme is going well. Pray for the ongoing safety of the large numbers of vulnerable people not yet immunised.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 18 February 2021 20:43

Czech Republic: state of emergency

The Czech government re-declared a state of emergency to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in defiance of the lower house of Parliament, which refused the minority government’s request to extend the powerful tool. The state of emergency gives extra powers to impose nationwide restrictions and limit people’s travel and rights. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the republic’s rate of 915 new confirmed cases per 100,000 people in the previous two weeks is the second worst per capita in the EU after Portugal. Despite the dire situation, some lawyers and politicians, including the Senate speaker, say the government’s move violates the country’s constitution. The government denies that, saying its legal advisers support such a solution. Meanwhile Germany has implemented tight border controls on its frontiers with the Czech Republic and Austria’s Tyrol province to stem the spread of variants.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 11 February 2021 21:19

Vaccination for illegal migrants

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, the government announced that anyone seeking a test or treatment for coronavirus would not have their immigration status checked. It is now being made explicit that this principle applies to vaccinations also; people living in the UK unlawfully will not risk deportation by coming forward for inoculation. Ministers are urging illegal immigrants to come forward and register with a GP. The vaccine is free, regardless of their immigration status. However, this is not an amnesty for immigrants; no-one will be given leave to remain in the UK as a result of being vaccinated. The last official estimate, dating back to 2005, was that about 430,000 people were in the country with no legal right to remain; independent research since then has put the number at over a million.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 11 February 2021 21:17

Creating church connections

A common theme is emerging among church leaders experiencing lockdowns: the importance of connection and how to connect as a church. Refreshments after church, shared events, coffee shop catchups, Sunday dinner get-togethers have been stripped away. Leaders have lost the thermostat of knowing how church people are. Many are wondering if and how online church is translating into everyday life. It is encouraging that this season has produced worship that is decentralised, has moved out of the building, and is more tightly woven into the daily fabric of life. Mission no longer has a visiting evangelist. Evangelism is now central in conversations with neighbours and colleagues. We are sharing our faith. Another common theme is how Christians have taken hold of their own discipleship because of the decentralisation of worship and the democratisation of mission.

Published in British Isles