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MANILA: Philippine authorities have canceled an annual procession, which usually attracts tens of millions of Catholic devotees accompanying a black wood statue of Jesus Christ by means of the streets of Manila, for a second straight 12 months attributable to coronavirus issues.
The federal government’s coronavirus activity drive canceled the “Black Nazerene” procession, which is likely one of the nation’s largest spiritual festivals, earlier than celebrations associated to the Jan. 9 procession, have been attributable to begin on Friday due to rising COVID-19 infections.
In contrast to final 12 months, there might be no in-person plenty within the church housing the centuries-old statue, and police might be deployed to discourage folks from gathering exterior the constructing, authorities stated.
“We perceive (the cancelation) for our security and well being causes,” Father Douglas Badong, Parochial Vicar of Quiapo Church, informed a information convention. He stated bodily plenty will happen in different provinces and on-line plenty for devotees within the capital.
In prior years, devotees clad in yellow and maroon have thronged the life-sized statue as it’s paraded by means of the streets of Manila aboard a rope-pulled carriage.
Day by day COVID-19 instances within the Philippines jumped to greater than 5,400 on Tuesday from lower than 200 on Dec. 21, together with some infections attributable to the omicron variant, forcing the federal government to tighten curbs this week.
“We’ve got seen how shortly COVID-19 unfold after the vacation season … we’re calling for a suspension of all mass gatherings,” Well being Secretary Francisco Duque stated late on Tuesday.
The Philippines has thus far detected 14 home and imported instances of the extremely contagious omicron variant that has pushed up COVID-19 case counts and dampened New 12 months festivities round a lot of the world.
With greater than 2.86 million instances and 51,604 deaths, the Philippines has the second highest COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, subsequent to Indonesia.
Filipinos show Catholic devotion in Black Nazarene processionPhilippines’ Catholic trustworthy throng annual ‘Black Nazarene’ procession
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