Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Pope Francis tests for Coronavirus

Pope Francis salutes pilgrims and faithful as he leaves St. Peter's Square at the Vatican after his weekly general audience, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

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Pope Francis, who cancelled a Lent retreat for the first time in his papacy because he is suffering from a cold, has tested negative for coronavirus, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The 83-year-old Roman Catholic leader, who had part of one lung removed because of an illness decades ago, also cancelled most audiences last week.

Pope Francis was to have taken part in a week-long retreat in Vetican, that began on Sunday night at a Church residence south of Rome, had announced that he would be following it from his residence in a Vatican guest house.

He has been taken ill at a time when Italy is battling a surging outbreak of the potentially deadly coronavirus. The death toll in Italy jumped to 52 on Monday from 34 the day before and the total number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst affected country climbed past the 2,000 mark.
REUTERS

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