Temporary ban on group gatherings in Cebu City chapels imposed to curb COVID-19 cases

The Archdiocese of Cebu has announced that novena, fiesta and monthly masses celebrated in chapels within Cebu City are temporarily suspended for the rest of the month of July due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.

The directive, which was announced through a statement issued by Cebu Chancellor Msgr. Renato Beltran, was aimed at curbing the rise in COVID-19 cases in Cebu City.

"After a coordination meeting this morning with the Cebu City Emergency Operations Center, it was agreed that for this MONTH  of JULY, Chapel Masses, particularly Novena, Fiesta and Monthly Masses, are temporarily suspended due to the rising CoVid cases in Cebu City," Beltran said.

"This is just one of the major changes in our Liturgical Health Protocols to be implemented in Cebu City parishes," he said, adding that a circular on these liturgical changes will be distributed to the parishes in Cebu City within the week.

An assessment on the changes will be conducted by the end of the month.

Fr. Jonathan Rubin, head of Social Media Communications of the Cebu Archdiocese, explained that "Chapels being referred to in the notice are those belonging to the parishes and barrios where health and safety protocols can be hardly maintained."

As of July 6, according to data from the Department of Health in Central Visayas, there are 75 new COVID-19 cases in Cebu City bringing the total to 26,046 cases. -- BAP, GMA News