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
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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.