Quiapo Church closed from Jan. 3 – 6 as Manila COVID-19 cases rise

Quiapo Church (INQUIRER file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as the Quiapo Church, will be temporarily closed from Jan. 3 to 6 amid the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Dahil po sa mga nabalita na biglaang pagtaas ng COVID-19 cases sa Manila kaya’t naisipan po namin na pansamantala na ang simbahan ng Quiapo ay isara mula Jan. 3 hanggang Jan. 6,” Fr. Douglas Badong, the church’s parochial vicar, announced in a video post on Facebook late Sunday night.

(Because of the reported increase in COVID-19 cases in Manila, we have decided to close the Quiapo Church from Jan. 3 to 6.)

“Ito ay pakikiisa ng simbahan upang maiwasan ang paglaganap ng hawaan ng COVID,” he said.

(This is our way of cooperating to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.)

The closure would also pave the way for the church and its surrounding areas to undergo disinfection. It will re-open on Jan. 7.

The Quiapo Church will host the feast day of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9, where devotees are expected to attend.

The traditional traslacion, the annual procession to mark the feast, was again suspended for a second year due to the COVID-19 threat.

The City of Manila has been seeing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days, along with other local government units in the National Capital Region.

The government has placed Metro Manila under the stricter Alert Level 3 from Jan. 3 to 15 amid the global threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

gsg