Breaking News: Temples Gear Up for Covid-19 Delta Safety

By ISKCON News Staff | Aug 15, 2021

Temples in many parts of the world are gearing up their safety and visiting policies in response to the widespread growth and upsurge of covid-19 variants.

On Wednesday, August 18th, New Vrindavana, ISKCON’s Temple and pilgrimage site in West Virginia, USA, has reopened after shutting its doors out of concern to maintain Covid-safety.

A campus-wide mask mandate is in effect immediately. What does this mean? In all enclosed spaces, you will have to wear a mask that properly covers your mouth and nose at all times. The kirtan singer, Bhagavatam speaker and pujaris (priests) will all have to wear masks as well!
We will be purchasing a large pandal or outdoor tent that will be erected on the island—space between the car parks which will host any large programs, festivals and prasadam—when the weather does not allow for outdoor eating. This will ensure that the temple room does not get overcrowded.
Guests at the Palace Lodge are expected to show their vaccination certificate upon picking up their keys or showing a negative COVID test result within the last 72 hours—otherwise they will be asked to book a hotel in town and visit the temple during the day.
All unvaccinated staff members and residents are expected to COVID test every two weeks and present their results to the INV Human Resources Dept. Failure to do so will result in the person being asked to not visit the temple until such measures are followed.

At Radhadesh, Belgium, the guided tour program, retreat center, restaurant, and gift shop have been closed until further notice. For more information on Radhadesh’s visiting policies, they urge you to follow them on social media for the latest updates.

health officials outside of Radhadesh Temple, Belgium.

Nila Madhava Das (Dr. Neeraj Verma), who was in charge of a hospital covid wing during the first wave of the pandemic in the US said, “The Delta variant of Covid 19 is twice as contagious as the previous virus. It is the predominant strain now in the USA. Until it is controlled it is recommended that we protect our communities all over the world by wearing masks indoors at all times during public events. The unvaccinated are even more susceptible to severe illness and even higher risk of hospitalizations from this variant.”

ISKCON News will keep you updated with the latest temple information as it becomes available to us.

Tag: covid , covid-19