A synagogue in the Netherlands has posted a message on its Facebook page asking male congregants to use their kippot as a face mask to help combat coronavirus.

In the message, which was posted on the weekend before Purim, the Beth Shoshanna synagogue in Raalte, in the east of the country, offered an “instruction video” to demonstrate correct procedure.

It showed a French-speaking man lowering his kippah — which is fastened around his ears with string — from the top of his head to cover his mouth.

The Masorti synagogue added in its Facebook message that, in the spirit of egalitarianism, women should “temporarily” wear kippah in the same fashion.

It comes as other Jewish groups around the world take more drastic precautions to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Last week, the Conference of European Rabbis advised congregants to avoid shaking hands and kissing communal ritual items such as siddurim, talitot, mezuzot and sefer Torahs.

They also suggested putting hand sanitisers in public areas and urged those feeling unwell to stay at home, “even if they have to say kaddish”.