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  • World - Europe
  • Updated: April 23, 2020

Church That Refused Confinement In Ukraine Sees Spike In Infection Rate

Church That Refused Confinement In Ukraine Sees Spike In Inf

Authorities in Ukraine have quarantined a monastery managed by the Orthodox church that had earlier rejected confinement, as more of the monks at the monastery became infected with the virus. 

After twelve monks at the Pokrovsky Golosiivsky monastery in Kiev had tested positive for coronavirus, the monastery was closed, this is according to the Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko.

The quarantined monasteries all fall under the aegis of the Moscow-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox Church that had earlier resisted the government's directive to stay at home, encouraging its congregants to attend church services.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery was shut down after nearly 150 monks got infected with the coronavirus disease, with three of them dying, AFP reports.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: 2.5 Million Cases, 160,000 Deaths Globally - WHO

The fear of the emergence of new cases after the worshippers at teh church gathered in the Church's second biggest monastery situated in Pochaiiv for the Easter celebration.

Police launched a probe into the breach of lockdown rules during the Easter service at the Assumption Pochaiiv Lavra as well as at another monastery in the east of the country.

The Church was even accused of trying to spread the infection on purpose at the behest of Moscow, Kiev’s bitter foe since it annexed Crimea in 2014 and supported the separatists in the east.

“They are saboteurs,” a Ukrainian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Church spokesman Archbishop Kliment Vecherya rejected the claims. “We are observing a wave of propaganda against our confession,” he told AFP.

Ukraine has confirmed 6,592 cases of COVID-19, including 174 deaths.

The country banned all mass gatherings and people must wear masks outside and not venture out in groups of more than two.

 

(AFP)

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