The government advises the public to attend live streamed masses for the feast of the Black Nazarene

Due to the continuous growing number of cases of COVID 19 in the country, the government announced on Tuesday the banning of public masses in Quiapo Church, where the activities and masses for the feast of the Black Nazarene traditionally takes place. The government’s task force for the virus also ordered the temporary closure of the minor basilica on the dates January 7 to 9 when the feast is celebrated. Cops will also be deployed on assigned areas around the basilica, setting up checkpoints to prevent people from gathering on the said dates. Since the National Capital Region (NCR) is under Alert Level 3 again from January 3 to 15, for it has become the center of the spike of the COVID 19 cases in the country, there is strict implementation of guidelines and protocols to be followed. Thus, the banning of the celebration of the feast. “There are millions of devotees there and you cannot just be complacent about the transmission of the disease. I hope the Church can understand that all gatherings are not allowed,” President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday via a taped address. As of the moment, the church is still closed to the public for total disinfection.