A Vatican Swiss guard stands to attention during Pope Francis' weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, October 14
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Eleven members of the Vatican Swiss Guards, the colourfully dressed corps that has protected popes for 500 years, have now tested positive for Covid-19, according to officials.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/Swiss Guard/ilj
“As a result of tests over the past days, seven further Swiss Guards have tested positive, which brings the number of established people taken ill to 11 Guards,” said a statementExternal link published on the Swiss Guards’ website on Thursday evening.
On Monday it emerged that four guards had already tested positive for the virus.
More
More
Four Vatican Swiss Guards test positive for Covid-19
This content was published on
Four members of the Vatican Swiss Guards have tested positive for Covid-19, the Vatican said on Monday.
The statement said that those who had tested positive would go into isolation immediately and would be tested again.
Nearly all the 113-strong Swiss Guards are single men who live in a barracks just inside the Vatican gates. The commanders and married members live in separate apartments. All members are Swiss and Catholic.
Prevention measures
The Vatican last week instituted prevention measures stipulating that everyone had to wear masks, even outdoors, and practise social distancing.
But some have noted that Pope Francis does not wear a mask at his general audiences and sometimes comes in relatively close contact with visitors, who are wearing masks.
Some of his closest aides have not been wearing masks at the audiences.
The Swiss Guards’ statement added that further measures had now been taken for its members, including adjusting the shift planning, “in order to rule out any risk of an infection at the service posts where the Vatican Swiss Guards are in service”.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
After reaching a low point at the end of 2024, the Swiss job market showed the first signs of a slight recovery in the first quarter.
This content was published on
Switzerland's dioceses are making arrangements for the faithful to attend the Pope's funeral, including public screenings.
Vulnerable tenants hit hardest by Zurich evictions
This content was published on
More tenants are evicted in Zurich than anywhere else in Switzerland, which particularly affects older people on low incomes.
This content was published on
Swiss National Bank Q1 profits weighed down by foreign currency investments, which the rise in gold was unable to offset.
This content was published on
On May 4, 1998, Alois Estermann was named commander of the Pope’s Swiss Guard. A few hours later, he was found dead in his flat in the Vatican City.
This content was published on
The world's oldest standing army, the Papal Guards, have presented a prototype of its new headgear: Plastic PVC helmets made with a 3D printer.
Renovating new Papal Swiss Guard barracks to cost CHF50 million
This content was published on
The foundation was established in canton Solothurn in 2016 to support the work of the Swiss Guard. Former Swiss central bank chairman Jean-Pierre Roth is in charge of the renovation project and heads the foundation, according to La Liberté. The Pope’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave the green light in June for the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.