Some British parishioners are being advised to hug rather than shake hands "as a sign of peace" in measures by churches to try to stop the spread of swine flu, a report said Wednesday.

　　The Church of England has introduced the measure in its Southwark diocese in southeast London as concerns mount about the spread of swine flu in Britain, the Financial Times said.

　　Some churches have also begun to allow "intinction" or dipping bread in communion wine rather than sharing the chalice, while others have stopped offering wine altogether, the newspaper said.

　　A British bishop has already advised his diocese to suspend holy water from churches in a bid to halt the spread of the A(H1N1) virus.

　　The measures follow ones being introduced in other countries, including in Portugal where church goers are to take communion by having the host placed in their hands, not their mouth.

　　Swine flu has now killed more than 700 people around the globe, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday, as experts debated whether schools should be closed to contain the pandemic.

　　本周三有报道称，一些英国教堂建议教区居民用拥抱代替握手来传递“和平的信号”，以防止猪流感的传播。

　　《金融时报》说，由于越来越多的人担心猪流感在英国扩散，英国教会在伦敦东南部的南华克主管教区推荐了这一方法。

　　报纸上说，有的教堂已经开始允许用面包蘸圣餐酒，不再共用圣餐杯，而其他一些教堂则完全停止供应集体圣餐酒了。

　　一位英国主教已经建议他主管教区的教堂暂停供应圣水，从而防止甲型H1N1流感病毒的传播。

　　这些措施效法了其他国家的做法，例如葡萄牙，那里的教徒领圣餐时是把面包放在手中而不是放进嘴里。

　　世界卫生组织本周二称，目前猪流感已经在全球夺去了700多人的生命，专家们正在讨论是否应该关闭学校来抑制猪流感的大规模流行。