Vatican reports first case of coronavirus inside its walls

The discovery brought the epidemic to the heart of the capital of Italy, the worst-hit European country. The death toll in Italy, where the virus has hit mostly in the north, stood at 148 on Thursday.

General view of St. Peter’s Square after the Vatican reports its first case of coronavirus, at the Vatican, March 6, 2020. (Reuters)

The Vatican said on Friday that a patient in its health services had tested positive for the coronavirus, the first in the tiny, walled city-state surrounded by Rome.

The discovery brought the epidemic to the heart of the capital of Italy, the worst-hit European country. The death toll in Italy, where the virus has hit mostly in the north, stood at 148 on Thursday.

A Vatican spokesman said the case was diagnosed on Thursday and that services in Vatican clinics had been suspended to sanitize the areas.

Story continues below this ad

Most Vatican employees who use its health services live in Italy on the other side of the border with the 108-acre city-state.

Coronavirus outbreak: Follow LIVE updates here

Bruni gave no details on whether the person who tested positive was such an employee or among the relatively few clergy or guards who live inside its walls.

Explained: Why Vatican has opened its archives of Holocaust-era Pope Pius XII before time

The Vatican has said Pope Francis, who cancelled a Lent retreat for the first time in his papacy, is suffering only from a cold that is “without symptoms related to other pathologies.”

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram