Pochayiv Lavra placed under quarantine

The demand to leave the monastery was voiced during an online broadcast of the service, which took place without any video footage from the temple. Photo: screenshot of the online streaming from the YouTube channel of the Pochayiv Lavra

On April 21, 2020 at 10 am, the Holy Assumption Pochayiv Lavra was placed under quarantine, the monastery's website reports.

The requirement for the parishioners to immediately leave the monastery was made at the end of the service, which was broadcast online without online streaming from the church – only general views of the monastery were broadcast.

“Brothers and sisters, listen up!” an unknown person addressed those present in the monastery church. “Due to the fact that a state of emergency was introduced in Pochayiv, Pochayiv is closed, entry and exit are prohibited, and a state of emergency has been enforced, I’m appealing to the administration of the Lavra, to you, Vladyka, personally, in order to prevent unrest right now. There was set up an emergency commission with the unlimited mandate in relation to the Lavra and the inhabitants of the Lavra. At this moment ALL residents, parishioners – you must leave the temple now. We are forced to close the temple. This is a state of emergency and we have a very big request: leave right now, goodbye. The doors are open and everybody should go home. Take your kids right now; we are all leaving the Lavra. Nobody must walk around the territory. Otherwise, we will have very big problems. Request to all: leave the Lavra as soon as possible! ”

As reported by the UOJ, on April 20, 2020, the commission on technological safety and emergency situations in the Kremenets District of the Ternopil Region decided to close the city of Pochayiv for entry and exit from 10:00 on April 21 due to the spread of coronavirus infection in the region.

The Office of the National Police in the Ternopil Region said that the decision of the district commission of the Kremenets district state administration to close the entrance and exit of the city of Pochayiv was adopted in violation of the law, since the authorities do not have such authority.

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