(FILE) RARE SIGHT Plaza Miranda, the square in front of Quiapo Church in Manila, is declared off-limits on Wednesday and the police intend to keep it that way especially this Sunday. For the second year in a row, the Jan. 9 Black Nazarene grand procession also known as “traslacion” is canceled due to the pandemic. Devotees are encouraged to just attend Mass online. —LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, popularly known as the Quiapo Church, will remain closed until January 26 due to the uptick of COVID-19 cases in the country.
The Quiapo Church has been closed to the public since January 13, according to Quiapo parish priest Msgr. Hernando Coronel.
Coronel said daily online Masses and devotions will still be streamed live in Facebook.
Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Quiapo Church, said the closure was done to make way for disinfection after many of its staff members contracted the virus.
“For sanitation, and for sensitivity na din dahil sa pagtaas ng cases, inaalala din namin ang staff at volunteers namin ang nagkaka-COVID,” Badong said over Teleradyo.
(For sanitation and for sensitivity also due to the increase of cases, we are also looking after our staff and volunteers since many of them are having COVID.)
“Pwede naman pong mas iklian kapag bumaba pa ang kaso sa mga susunod na araw,” Badong added.
(We could shorten the closure if the cases decrease in the coming days.)
RELATED STORIES
All quiet in Quiapo again as Black Nazarene feast goes online