the source: FREEMASONRY.network
After consultation with the Rulers and Senior members of the Board, the United Grand Lodge of England decided as follows:
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The United Grand Lodge of England strongly advises that those over the age of 65 years old, and those with hypertension, heart disease, lung disease or diabetes no longer attend Lodge and Chapter meetings for the foreseeable future.
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The United Grand Lodge of England strongly advises that meetings of over 100 members should not take place. Advice on abandoning meetings has been previously circulated.
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We draw attention to the fragile state of some Masonic Halls and their financial reliance on income from meetings. We encourage Lodges to consider their Halls’ ongoing viability when cancelling meetings and advise, where possible, that arrangements are made to support their halls through the difficult times ahead in exchange for some future agreement to recoup any such support when the situation resolves.
As a precaution against the Coronavirus, Freemasons’ Hall in London will be closed to the public from Monday 16 March 2020 until further notice.
In the Grand Lodges of the United States, the threat is approached in a variety of ways. As we informed, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts suspended all Masonic activity in the jurisdiction due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the Liberal (Continental Freemasonry) Grand Lodges/Grand Orients went a step further than the UGLE:
In view of the seriousness of the health situation (COVID-19), all the major French Masonic liberal obediences yesterday took the decision to suspend all their activities and close their temples until further notice.
The Grand Orient of France (GODF) Circular: circulaire1061-dispositions-Covid-19
The circular of the French Federation of Le Droit Humain (Co-Masonry): communique-pandemie-FFDH-13mars2020-DEF
The Mixed Grand Lodge of France (GLMN) Circular: Circulaire GLMN à effet immédiat
The Grand Lodge of France (GLDF) circular: Mail from TRGM _ Coronavirus_Closing of the GLDF and suspension of work
The Feminine Grand Lodge of France (GLFF) has put the information on its website.
Liberal Obediences from outside France make different decisions. For example, the Grand Orient of Poland decided to suspend the meetings for a month already last Wednesday.
