Basilica Minore in Cebu remains closed as priests, church employees are suspected of Covid-19 infection

With at least seven priests and nine of its employees suspected of being infected with Covid-19, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu remains closed to the public.

 

The Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) friars, which manages Cebu’s oldest church, admitted last week that one of their employees was infected with the virus. The said employee has since been confined in a hospital in Cebu City. The other basilica personnel and priests have been isolated inside the convent. All were swabbed by a medical team from the Cebu City Health Department.

 

“We put our trust in the Risen Lord and ask our beloved Señor Santo Niño de Cebu to strengthen us in the fight against the COVID-19,” Fr. Andres Rivera Jr., OSA, the prior provincial of the OSA Province of Santo Niño De Cebu said in a statement.

 

The basilica, which houses the oldest Santo Niño image in the country, will remain closed until further notice.