On March 12th, 2020, the Executive Committee of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission issued a statement about the suggested protocol for temples and individuals to follow during the corona virus pandemic:

Dear ISKCON Community Members,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yesterday, we received the sad news of a beloved member of the Bhaktivedanta Manor Community in the UK passing from this world as a result of the coronavirus.

In light of the seriousness of the situation, we request all of our ISKCON communities, temples, and centers to adhere to the following recommendations:

Temple events will continue as scheduled. However, we request that you do not visit the temple if:

. You have any symptoms of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus — fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

. You have been around anyone else with the above symptoms.

. You have a compromised immune system and are therefore at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

. You are worried about catching the coronavirus disease.

. You have traveled to high-risk countries listed at https://www.cdc.gov/ or been in close contact with someone who has traveled to one of these countries.

In any of the above cases, please refrain from participating in temple activities for at least 14 days after your return or after you are symptom-free.

We also request the following precautions:

. Anyone involved in cooking or serving prasadam must wash their hands every twenty minutes with hot water and soap for twenty seconds. Servers must wear disposable gloves.

. Anyone showing any symptoms of any illness should remain out of the kitchen and also not serve prasadam.

. Avoid shaking hands.

. Avoid touching your face.

. Please do not distribute prasadam flowers, oil, or water at this time.

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Hare Krsna,

Your servants,

Ramai Swami
Bhakti Caitanya Swami
Bhanu Swami,
GBC Executive Committee