By Fr Manny Pinto sdb

Dili, Timor Leste, 8 April 2020 -- The Parish Priest of Mary Help of Christian's Church, Fr. Joao Roque, Provincial House Community, together with the Parish Council members gives a hand to poor families living in the surrounding area of Comoro.

As we all know, no corner of the world is untouched by the Covid19 pandemic and no life is unaffected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly a million people have been infected so far, and over 40,000 have died.

In Timor Leste, since15 March, when the Ministry of Health announced some infected person, though up to now we have only one imported case who is positive with COVID-19, most of the relevant institutions are warning people to practise prevention attitudes and social distancing measures together with suspensions of Church activities (Holy Mass and celebrations) and school activities. Cases of Corona virus here in Timor-Leste are still very low but we need to prevent them as much as possible otherwise it becomes worse later on as is happening in some countries.

Then a week later (28.03.2020) the Government of Timor-Leste declared the State of Emergency and applied a lockdown system in all areas. Timor-Leste is a new country with its healthcare system very poor and people are living without adequate sanitation, medicines or care. The scarcity of facilities gives no guarantee to the whole population in this moment of crisis. Many people have panicked and are traumatized and most of the foreigners have returned to their respective countries.

The serious impact of this pandemic severely affects those people who are poor, alone, sick; families who have nothing to eat, those who are jobless and live in dependence on other people. Let us remember the invitation of the Rector Major and give a hand those who are most in need. ‘We are in the same boat…and Jesus is with us in the boat’.

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