BY LESLIE ANN AQUINO
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THE Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu will remain closed to the public after five of its employees tested positive for coronavirus.
Father Andres Rivera, Jr., the prior provincial of the Order of St. Augustine, said based from the official swab test results performed on May 29, 2020 at the Basilica convent and on June 1, 2020 at the health center of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, respectively, show that out of 41 swab tests, five are 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 have negative swab test results.
With this development, Rivera said the basilica will not yet be open for publish worship.
“We inform 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.
