MANILA (SE): “We humbly urge all our parishioners to kindly follow our Masses via our Facebook account instead of praying inside the church. We need to be vigilant as the number of Covid-19 cases is now on the rise,” Divine Word Father Lino Nicasio, rector of the National Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus, Manila, appealed on January 2.
“A priest and three church personnel tested positive,” UCAN reported Father Nicasio as saying. He added, “We will conduct disinfection for the duration of the closure.”
The church, located inside the Malacañang Palace complex, will be closed until January 14.
Meanwhile, UCAN reported that several church workers at St. Vincent Ferrer parish in Taguig, also tested positive for the virus on January 2 forcing Father Jun Toribio, its parish priest to close its doors.
“Our visiting priest has informed us also that he is experiencing severe fatigue and drowsiness, consistent with symptoms of Covid-19,” parish priest, Father Toribio said. Services will also be suspended until January 14.
Meanwhile on January 3, CBCPNews reported that two staff at Sta. Maria Goretti Church and its office in the district of Paco had test positive for Covid-19 and that it will be closed until January 15 for disinfection.
The parish priest, Father David Conception, said that Masses would continue to be livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page
CBCPNews also reported that Quiapo Church also closed its doors to the public beginning on January 3 while the church undergoes massive disinfection.
The church will reopen on January 7, two days before the feast of the Black Nazarene.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
The closures come amid a recent surge in Covid-19 cases thought to be linked to the Omicron variant forced the government to raise its virus alert x\status to Level 3.
The Inquirer.net, reported on January 4 that provinces around Manila such as Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan had been placed under the more stringent Level 3 alert from January 5 until January 15.
Acting presidential spokesman, Karlo Nograles, said in a statement, “Due to a sharp increase of Covid-19 cases in the particular localities, the Inter-Agency Task Force approved [on] January 3, 2022, the recommendation of its sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics to escalate Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal to Alert Level 3.”
Nograles said that only fully vaccinated people would be allowed in restaurants, movie theatres and other business establishments.
Wakes and funerals would be limited to 30 per cent of indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated people and 50 per cent outdoor venue capacity.
Face-to-face classes were likewise suspended while bars, clubs, concert halls and other entertainment venues are off-limits.
On January 2, the Philippines recorded 4,600 new Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day tally since 29 October 2020, making a total of 21,418 active cases, according to government figures.
