JOIN the Archbishops of Canterbury and York from 6pm today to pray for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell are inviting people from all backgrounds to join them in a live prayer session on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Facebook page.

People are encouraged to post prayer requests in the comments.

The Archbishops are inviting people to set aside time each day for prayer, if possible at 6pm each evening.

It follows their call last week for time to pause, "reflect on the enormity of this pandemic" and pray for the nation and all those affected as it was reported that more than 100,000 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.

In a letter to the nation, the Archbishops wrote: "We encourage everyone who is feeling scared, or lost or isolated to cast their fears on God.
 
“We also know that poorer communities, minority ethnic communities and those living with disabilities have been afflicted disproportionately and cry out for the healing of these inequalities.”
 
They added: “One thing we can all do is pray. We hope it is some consolation to know that the church prays for the life of our nation every day. Whether you’re someone of faith, or not, we invite you to call on God in prayer.
 
“Starting on 1 February we invite you to set aside time every evening to pray, particularly at 6pm each day. More than ever, this is a time when we need to love each other. Prayer is an expression of love.”

For more information visit www.churchofengland.org/resources/prayer-nation or www.facebook.com/archbishopofcanterbury.