Worcester Islamic Center holds drive-thru food distribution before Ramadan
WORCESTER In preparation for Ramadan beginning this week, the Worcester Islamic Center held their annual food distribution drive for local families Sunday afternoon.
Over 300 people showed up to the contactless event, according to Islamic Center spokesman Tahir Ali. Food was boxed and placed in the trunks of people s cars to maintain social distancing and follow CDC guidelines, Ali said. The reason for doing this food drive is we want to help anyone who s in need of food, Ali said. Regardless of their faith or religion, the only criteria here is who needs food and should come to the center.
One year in a state of emergency: Worcester officials, clergy reflect on pandemic s toll
WORCESTER There was a time when it was possible for the average resident to not know anyone who died from, or even came down with, the COVID-19 virus.
Not anymore. Few of us remain who don t know someone who simply had to isolate for a few weeks with mild symptoms, or someone who spent time in the hospital, or someone who had it with no symptoms at all. Or someone who died. A grandparent. A cousin. An in-law.
As the enormity of the situation started to crystalize in March 2020 and more and more cases starting popping up in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency effective Wednesday, March 11.
WORCESTER - There can be debate in the Islamic world whenever a new vaccine is developed about whether it has elements such as alcohol or animal fats that are against Islamic law.
With COVID-19 vaccines, that is not the case. But even if it were, COVID-19 is so serious a virus that Islamic law would permit and perhaps even say it is obligatory to take the vaccination, said Asif Hirani, imam and resident scholar at the Worcester Islamic Center.
The American Muslim community is very receptive to taking COVID- 19 vaccines, he said. I m very proud. All of us are very receptive that we have to take the vaccine, he said. This (vaccine) is a ray of hope. In the American Muslim community people are really very, very receptive. We were waiting for something like this.
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When 2020 began, no one could have imagined it would end with a world turned upside down by a virus no one had ever heard of, a virus that has now claimed the lives of close to two million people, more than 300,000 in the United States alone. Social distancing, mask wearing, and hand sanitizing took on a new urgency.
Here at BU, COVID-19 forced the University to quickly adapt to a remote learning model immediately following spring break in March. A massive testing and contact tracing system implemented by the University this summer allowed students to return to campus for the fall semester for a combination of in-person and remote learning, dubbed Learn