Story from the Straits Times about monks helping out the community during this difficult time.
"As Covid-19 cases surge in Thailand, some Buddhist monks are donning personal protective equipment over their distinctive robes, delivering oxygen cylinders, taking nasal samples to help with testing, and even helping to carry the dead to the crematoriums
“There are a lot of Thais who are still ignored by the public health system,” Mahapromphong, 33, deputy abbot of Suthi Wararam Temple in the Thai capital, told Agence France-Presse. “We take care of everyone we come across.”
Stay safe everyone! May all beings be free from sickness and be happy!
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Buddhist Monks on the Frontline as COVID-19 Surges in Thailand
Buddhist monks are joining essential workers on the frontline of Thailand’s COVID-19 response as the Southeast Asian kingdom struggles under the weight of a rapidly escalating third wave of infections. Monastics around the country can be seen clad in personal protective equipment (PPE) to deliver oxygen cylinders, administer COVID tests, and even transport the dead to crematoriums.
Thailand has been engulfed by a third wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections that first emerged on 1 April, traced to a cluster at a high-end Bangkok nightlife district frequented by the politically connected. The outbreak has since resulted in 643,522 COVID-19 patients, according to the official count, of whom 428,380 have recovered. Earlier today, the authorities reported a record high of 188 COVID-19-related deaths and 20,200 new cases over the previous 24 hours as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread nationwide.
“There are a lot of Thais who are still ignored by the public health system,” said 33-year-old Phra Mahapromphong, deputy abbot of Wat Suthi Wararam, a riverside Buddhist monastery in southwest Bangkok. Since 21 July, the monk has been visiting the Thai capital’s poorer neighborhoods, bringing oxygen, food, and medical supplies to the needy, and collecting test samples. “We take care of everyone we come across,” he added. (Bangkok Post)
https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/buddhist-monks-on-the-frontline-as-covid-19-surges-in-thailand
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