Please just pray but no handshakes: Outbreak spooks Asian places of worship

A Buddhist monk adjusting his face mask at the Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand. There were less crowds in Bangkok's popular Wat Pho, a centuries-old Buddhist temple known for its giant reclining buddha, due to the virus scare. The complex of temples is normally visited by thousands of tourists. - AP

MANILA: In a popular Catholic church in the Philippines, nearly half of the pews were empty for Saturday Mass (Feb 15). The few hundred worshippers who showed up were asked to refrain from shaking others' hands or holding them during prayers to prevent the spread of the virus that started in China.

In Hong Kong, Cardinal John Hon Tong, wearing a mask, announced the suspension of public Masses for two weeks and urged churchgoers to instead watch them online.