More than 40 parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila are currently temporarily closed.
The Archdiocese of Manila Ministry on Health Care said some parishes closed due to priests and church personnel testing positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Others closed as a preventive measure against the rapid spread of the Omicron variant; the clergy, personnel and support staff receive their booster shot; routine RT-PCR tests; and general disinfection and sanitation of the Church and its premises.
Among the churches that were temporarily closed are St. John Bosco Parish - Makati, Our Lady of Fatima Parish - Pasay, St Andrew the Apostle Parish, National Shrine of the Sacred Heart, San Roque de Sampaloc Parish, Our Lady of Peñafrancia Parish, Santuario de San Antonio Parish - Makato, San Isidro Labrador Parish - Pasay, Santisimo Rosario Parish - UST, National Shrine of our Lady of Abandoned, National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño de Tondo, National Shrine of St Jude Thaddeus, Our Lady of Remedies Parish - Malate, National Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe, St John the Baptist Parish, Mary the Queen Parish - San Juan, and San Roque Parish - Pasay.
Last week, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula said they entrust the implementation of lockdown of churches to the pastoral prudence and discernment of parish priests, ad casum (case-to-case basis), in consultation with the parish pastoral council, Local Government Units, health authorities and other concerned government agencies.
In a circular letter, he cited the COVID-19 Guide prepared by the Ministry on Health Care that was issued in October 2020 which states when should temporary closure of a parish office be undertaken as a result of COVID-19 infection.
"When a confirmed case has led to exposure by close contact of everyone in the office, temporary closure of the parish office may be undertaken. In other words, everyone in the office is considered a case or a close contact and has to either go into isolation because s/he is symptomatic or go into quarantine because s/he is a close contact. Because of this situation, there is no one who can work in the parish office," it said.
As of Jan. 10, only 54.8 percent of parishes in the archdiocese remain open to the public.
There are 93 parishes, shrines, chapels, basilica, personal parish, and santuario in the Archdiocese of Manila.