The sign of peace will be suspended in most Catholic Masses here including Donegal to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The latest set of measures to prevent infection comes as the World Health Organisation raised the global threat assessment to “very high”.
The HSE yesterday issued advice for religious gatherings that holy communion should be given to congregation in their hands only and not on the tongue.
Holy water fonts should not be used and instead of the sign of peace Mass-goers have been told to smile or nod at each other.
The advice comes in the run-up to first communion season across Donegal.
Dozens of pupils from two Donegal schools in Milford and Bunacrana continue to remain off school after they returned from skiing trips to Italy.
The World Health Organisation warned its assessment of the risk of spread of coronavirus has been raised to “very high” at global level.
Director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the continued increase in the number of coronavirus cases and in the number of affected countries over the last days was “clearly of concern” but there was still a chance it could be contained.
The World Health Organisation said on Friday it had increased its assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of Covid-19 to “very high” at the global level.
The HSE said it is on high alert for a likely first case of coronavirus here amid growing fears more people could return after contracting the deadly virus in Italy.
The first patient to be diagnosed with coronavirus in Northern Ireland was being monitored in her home last night after public health doctors had to track down a group of passengers who could have been exposed to infection after sharing an Aer Lingus flight and train with the mother and her daughter.
The woman had been on a skiing trip in northern Italy and flew back into Dublin.
