With regard to coronavirus outbreak and the Greek pilgrims who got infected after visiting the Holy Land, Saint Catherine’s Monastery made an announcement in which it states that the pilgrims did not contract COVID-19 (coronavirus) in the monastery.
For precautionary reasons, a medical examination was carried out on the members of the brotherhood, on the monastery workers and on the pilgrims and the results were not worrying.
The announcement of the Saint Cathrine’s Monastery is the following:
Following the infection of Greek pilgrims with COVID-19, many concerns have been expressed about the health of the Fathers of the Brotherhood of the Sinai Monastery (Saint Catherine) and of the region in general.
As we know, a group of Greek pilgrims from southwestern Greece, who were recently diagnosed with coronavirus, visited Sinai in Egypt and continued their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, that is to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Based on this information, the Holy Monastery is not responsible for the contamination. The same holds true for the Sinai desert and Egypt as well.
However, for precautionary reasons, following an order by the Governor of South Sinai, Khaled Fouda, and with the permission of the Monastery, a group of specialists tested the Fathers, the workers, and the pilgrims, and the results were not worrying. Despite the results, preventive health measures have already been implemented for the proper and safe operation of the monastery as well as for the safety of pilgrims.
We wholeheartedly thank all friends of the Monastery for their interest and concern about the Sinai Brotherhood.
We wish, by the grace of God, patients, who bear the burden of the disease and the social consequences, a speedy recovery.
May God bless everybody with good health and a successful recovery. We must deal such matters with a calm mind, faith, and hope.
