Quiapo Church, one of Metro Manila's most popular places of worship, will be closed for two weeks as volunteers and staff get infected with COVID-19, the priest managing it said Friday.
The church located in downtown Manila will be disinfected during the closure from Jan. 13 to Jan. 26, said Parochial Vicar Douglas Badong, who is among those who fell ill. The church will still air daily online masses and devotions on their social media pages, it said.
"For sanitation at kumbaga pagiging sensitive na rin sa pagtaas ng cases and inaalala din namin ang mga staff, mga volunteers namin na hindi sila magka-COVID dahil marami din sa kanila ang nagkaka-COVID, nagkakasakit" he told TeleRadyo.
While the Catholic faithful cannot enter the church, they can still pray outside the basilica during the two-week closure, he said.
"Puwede naman sila makasaglit, makadaan dahil bukas pa rin naman po 'yung LED kung gusto nyo makapadasal nang kahit konti."
This is the second time this January that the Quiapo church closed its doors to the public due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila. It also cancelled the Jan. 9 Traslacion or the procession of the Black Nazarene for the second straight year.
ALSO READ:
Duterte: Arrest Unvaccinated People If They Go Outdoors
No Vaccine, No Ride in Public Transport in Metro Manila: DOTr
Is 'No Vaccine, No Ride' in Public Transport Anti-Poor?
