Alarm in the Vatican: the ambassador to Iraq, positive one week after the arrival of the Pope

VATICAN CITY – In the midst of growing cases of coronavirus in Iraq, in the Holy See, the alarm was raised because the dad Francisco He will arrive in the country in a few days and they fear the scenario may not be the most appropriate. Vatican Ambassador to Iraq Mitja Leskovar tested positive for coronavirus and in front of this panorama several specialists recommended to the Sovereign Pontiff not to travel.

A week after the historical visit which will last three days and will include the main places and political and religious references, according to sources of the nunciature, the Ambassador has mild symptoms and is in good condition. “But that will have no impact on the visit,” they added.

The Pope and all the journalists and ecclesiastics who will accompany him have been previously vaccinated against Covid-19 because in Iraq, the epidemic is not yet under control and the nation is still awaiting the arrival of the first vaccines. In fact, authorities have ordered containment measures to stop the new wave of the virus, which has already ceased. over 692,000 cases and over 13,300 deaths.

Upon hearing of the spread of the epidemic in the Middle Eastern country, infectious disease experts expressed concern over Francisco’s trip to Iraq, given the sharp increase in cases of the coronavirus in the country, its fragile health system and that Iraqis will probably inevitably form crowds to see it.

“It doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.”said Dr Navid Madani, virologist and founding director of the Center for Health Sciences Education in the Middle East and North Africa, under the aegis of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School.

Madani, born in Iran, co-wrote an article in The Lancet last year on the region’s disparate response to Covid-19, noting that Iraq, Syria and Yemen were ill-prepared to deal with the crisis given they still suffered from extremist insurgencies and 40 million people needed humanitarian aid.

He also pointed out that the enthusiasm of Iraqis to welcome a leader like Francis to an abandoned and war-torn part of the world can lead to violations unintentional control measures against the virus.

Dr Bharat Pankhania, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Exeter School of Medicine, agreed. “It’s a perfect storm to generate a lot of cases that you can’t handle,” he said.

“We are in the middle of a pandemic. It is important to send the right messages ”, Pankhania said. “The correct messages are: the less interaction with other human beings, the better.”

The organizers of the pontiff’s visit have vowed to impose the use of masks, social distancing and capacity limits during papal events. For its part, the Vatican has taken its own precautions.

In recent weeks, the country has recorded nearly 4000 positives per day, which led the government to impose a modified quarantine and a curfew mid-February due to the rebound of the cash registers. Schools and mosques have been closed, and restaurants and cafes can often order take-out.

AP and Telam agencies

THE NATION

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