Basilica del Santo Nino de Cebu remains closed due to COVID cases
By Leslie Ann Aquino
The Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu will remain closed to the public after five of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu (Photo courtesy of Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu website / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Father Andres Rivera, Jr., the prior provincial of the Order of St. Augustine, said that based on the official swab test results performed last May 29, 2020 at the Basilica convent, and last June 1, 2020 at the health center of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City respectively, out of 41 swab tests, five turned out positive.
"It must be noted that since the detection of a 'suspected' COVID-19 case last May 25 at the Basilica convent, all persons were already observing the strict protocol to prevent the contagion within the convent," he said in an advisory dated June 8.
"The five persons who are positive remain asymptomatic and are now on their 13th day of the quarantine period,” added Rivera.
He also revealed that all the Augustinian priests who were tested yielded negative results.
Rivera said the basilica will not yet be open for public worship.
"We are informing the public that we are not yet opening the Basilica for public worship and veneration to sanitize the whole Basilica compound and to strengthen its safety procedures and protocols," he said.
Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu (Photo courtesy of Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu website / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Father Andres Rivera, Jr., the prior provincial of the Order of St. Augustine, said that based on the official swab test results performed last May 29, 2020 at the Basilica convent, and last June 1, 2020 at the health center of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City respectively, out of 41 swab tests, five turned out positive.
"It must be noted that since the detection of a 'suspected' COVID-19 case last May 25 at the Basilica convent, all persons were already observing the strict protocol to prevent the contagion within the convent," he said in an advisory dated June 8.
"The five persons who are positive remain asymptomatic and are now on their 13th day of the quarantine period,” added Rivera.
He also revealed that all the Augustinian priests who were tested yielded negative results.
Rivera said the basilica will not yet be open for public worship.
"We are informing the public that we are not yet opening the Basilica for public worship and veneration to sanitize the whole Basilica compound and to strengthen its safety procedures and protocols," he said.