In Response to Coronavirus, Church Leaders to Transfer Missionaries out of Macau and Hong Kong
Contributed By Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News editor
Missionaries walk along a street in Hong Kong. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced February 4, 2020, that, in light of coronavirus, it will transfer missionaries out of Hong Kong and Macau.
Article Highlights
- In response to coronavirus, 113 missionaries will be transferred out of the China Hong Kong Mission.
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In response to the coronavirus and the increasing difficulty of conducting missionary work in Hong Kong and Macau, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is transferring missionaries out of the China Hong Kong Mission over the next few days, leaders announced in a statement Tuesday, February 4.
Of the 125 missionaries in the mission, 113 missionaries will be temporarily reassigned to other missions or, those nearing their scheduled release date, will return home. The remaining 12 missionaries are from Hong Kong and will return to their homes and be released from service until the situation has stabilized.
The outbreak in China of coronavirus, a respiratory illness, has captured headlines around the world in recent weeks.
“Prior to being reassigned, out of an abundance of caution, most missionaries will return to their homes and follow guidelines from the World Health Organization, including to self-isolate for 14 days,” according to the official Church statement. “Where required, they will undergo a government-mandated quarantine at a government facility based on the guidelines established by their home countries. Families are receiving instructions about how to carry this out. After the 14 days, if the missionaries continue to show no signs of coronavirus, they will depart for their new temporary assignments.”
Church leaders emphasized that prior to leaving Hong Kong, all missionaries have rigorously followed preventative health practices to avoid illness. This includes remaining in their apartments when possible, not engaging in teaching, wearing masks, and frequently washing their hands.
“Therefore, the likelihood of any of these missionaries having contracted the coronavirus is very low,” according to the statement. “Additionally, each missionary is required to show no symptoms before leaving Hong Kong.”
The Church has a special responsibility to care for missionaries, in addition to supporting members, employees, and other Church personnel in Hong Kong and other areas where the coronavirus is a concern. “We sincerely pray for all those who are dealing with this virus as well as those who live in places where it is impacting their daily lives,” Church leaders wrote in the statement. “The Church will continue to follow developments closely and make any further adjustments as needed.”
In partnership with the charitable organization Health Oriented Preventive Education, the Church announced one week ago that it will send a large shipment of protective gear to China in response to coronavirus.
Project HOPE chartered two planes to transport 220,000 respiratory masks, nearly 870 pairs of protective goggles, and more than 6,500 pairs of protective coveralls from the Church’s bishops’ central storehouses in Salt Lake City and Atlanta. In all, 79 pallets of protective gear were sent to China, according to Church officials.
“These are our dear brothers and sisters,” said President Russell M. Nelson, who enjoys a decades-long association with the People’s Republic of China. “We feel privileged to be able to offer some small measure of help. We pray for them and know God will bless them.”
Motorists drive into Hong Kong on Saturday, April 21, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
