At the end of March, the Vatican stated it had tested 170 Holy See employees for the coronavirus, all resulting negative, and that Pope Francis and those working closest to him did not have the virus.
After three months of closure, the Vatican Museums reopened to the public June 1. Advance reservation is required and visitors must wear masks and have their temperature checked at the entrance.
The opening came just two days before Italy reopened its borders to European visitors, lifting the requirement to quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
St. Peter’s Basilica reopened to visitors May 18 after receiving a thorough cleaning and sanitation. Public Masses resumed in Italy the same day under strict conditions.
Visitors to the basilica must have their temperature checked and wear a face mask.
Italy has had a total of more than 234,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus since the end of February, and over 33,000 people have died.
As of June 5, there were nearly 37,000 active positive cases in the country, with fewer than 3,000 in Rome’s region of Lazio.
According to the John Hopkins University coronavirus dashboard, 395,703 people have died from the pandemic worldwide.
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.
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