Updated May 31st, 2020 at 20:40 IST
Faithful attend mass in Portugal as churches open
Catholics across Portugal returned to churches for their first Sunday Mass since the country entered the government imposed coronavirus lockdown.
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Catholics across Portugal returned to churches for their first Sunday Mass since the country entered the government imposed coronavirus lockdown.
The historic Estrela Basilica in Lisbon held a bilingual Mass in Portuguese and English for the community.
A French visitor said it was even more special to be able to return on the day Catholics are celebrating the feast of Pentecost.
With Masses again allowed to take place, recommendations from the Portuguese health authorities include a limited number of people per ceremony depending on the size of each church, social distancing between different groups of people, mandatory disinfectant at the entry to each place of worship and mandatory use of masks.
Portugal has officially recorded almost 32,000 cases of COVID-19 and almost 1,400 deaths.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.
But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
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Published May 31st, 2020 at 20:40 IST