LUSA.
The Sanctuary of Fátima has 16 cases of internal and external collaborators infected with covid-19, the Catholic religious institution said in a statement today.
According to the statement, on Friday the Sanctuary of Fátima was informed that a collaborator was infected, so it gave an indication of prophylactic isolation to all people who were in contact with that collaborator and tests to all internal and to the choir members.
“On Saturday, 244 tests were carried out, resulting in 16 positive cases and 228 negative cases”, reads the statement.
The 16 confirmed cases of covid-19 “are linked to the initial case, are part of the sanctuary choir and have not been in direct contact with the pilgrims”, the information also says.
Even people who tested negative, but were in contact with infected people, were dismissed for prophylactic isolation.
Another 70 tests will be carried out this Monday.
The Sanctuary of Fátima ends the communiqué calling on employees and pilgrims to fully comply with “rules of social distance, as well as the use of a mask, whenever they are in closed spaces and with a lot of people”.
Regarding the detected cases of covid-19, he says that he immediately activated his contingency plan and that he maintains a “rigorous and permanent” monitoring of the situation.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Sanctuary of Fátima only opened at the end of last month, having been closed even on May 13, the main annual pilgrimage, which was carried out in a state of emergency without pilgrims in the enclosure.
The ceremonies with the assistance of the faithful returned on May 30 and the first international pilgrimage since the beginning of the pandemic was on June 12 and 13.
