Head of Serbian Orthodox Church tests positive for virus

BELGRADE, Serbia — The caput of the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije has tested affirmative for COVID-19, the religion said connected Tuesday, amid a surge successful infections successful the state and elsewhere successful the Balkan region.

Porfirije has developed “very mild symptoms of the microorganism infection” and remains successful location isolation, said the statement. It added that Porfirije is carrying retired administrative duties wholly without problems.

The 60-year-old patriarch became the caput of the Serbian Orthodox Church aft the erstwhile patriarch, Irinej, died successful November 2020 aft contracting the coronavirus.

Porfirije connected Sunday attended a wide ceremonial successful Republika Srpska, the Serb-run portion of neighboring Bosnia, wherever fewer radical wore look masks.

Serbia reported astir 9,000 caller infections connected Monday successful the state of 7 cardinal people. The fig of regular caller cases has risen sharply aft the New Year celebrations that included open-air concerts and relaxed anti-virus rules.

Experts accidental the existent emergence successful cases is driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus and is apt to worsen further. Epidemiologist Predrag Kon connected Monday criticized the microorganism policies by the authorities.

“Everything that was organized should not person happened,” said Kon. “Belgrade exploded aft New Year and present it’s spreading to the remainder of Serbia.”

Serbia has recorded implicit 1.3 cardinal cases of corruption since the commencement of the pandemic portion astir 13,000 radical person died of COVID-19.

Infections person been connected the emergence successful neighboring Croatia wherever authorities further constricted gatherings from Tuesday, widened the mandatory usage of look masks and urged companies to signifier location enactment erstwhile possible.

Croatia’s neighbor, Slovenia, has tightened introduction rules portion microorganism infections person been connected the emergence besides successful Bosnia and successful Montenegro.