Numerous infected among the Swiss guards in the Vatican

The Swiss Guard reported that seven other men tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the current number of cases among the 11 guards to 113.

Those positive results were immediately placed in solitary confinement and "further appropriate checks were carried out," read a statement on the website of the Papal Swiss Guard on October 15.

In the meantime, we read, "more useful measures have been adopted, also in terms of planning the service of the guards to exclude any risk of contagion in the places where the Pontifical Swiss Guard provides its service", in addition to those protocols already in place since office of the government of the Vatican City State.

The Vatican press office announced on October 12 that four members of the Swiss Guard and three other residents of Vatican City State had recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said in a note of 12 October that "during the weekend some positive cases of COVID-19 were identified among the Swiss Guard".

She said those four guards showed symptoms and had been placed in solitary confinement. The Vatican was also tracking down people the four had been in contact with, he added.

In addition to the guards, three other people have tested positive "with mild symptoms" in the "last few weeks" among both residents and citizens of Vatican City State, Bruni said.

They too were isolated in their homes and contact tracing had been carried out, he added.

"In the meantime, as per the provisions issued last week by the government office of the Vatican City State, all the guards, those on duty and not, wear masks, inside and out, and are following the required health measures," he said. said. .

The Vatican had declared a mandate for outdoor masks after Italy did so nationwide on October 7. However, during his weekly general audience, which was held indoors on October 7, Pope Francis and many of his entourage, including the two uniformed Swiss guards, did so. don't wear masks at that event.

The Italian government has extended its state of emergency until January 2021 and has gradually increased restrictions on gatherings and taken other preventive measures as infections continue to rise.

Italy records thousands of new infections a day, with nearly 6.000 new cases registered on 10 October. The month saw the highest increase in new cases since the peak of the pandemic in April.