Pope’s general audience closed to public after positive case of Covid-19

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives for his general audience in the San Damaso courtyard at the Vatican on September 9. Photo: CNS

VATICAN (CNS): The Vatican announced on October 29 that Pope Francis’ general audiences would return to being livestreamed without the presence of pilgrims and visitors after someone tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

The Vatican said that beginning November 4, general audiences will be “broadcast from the library of the Apostolic Palace” to prevent “any possible future risks to the health of the participants.”

The person who tested positive attended the audience on October 21 in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall.