(18 Apr 2020) Police cordoned off all the entrances of the Pechersk Lavra Church in Kyiv on Saturday after multiple cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed inside the monastery next to the church.
Around 100 people gathered in front of the church to celebrate the Orthodox Easter and for the lighting up ceremony of the Holy Fire - a key part of the Orthodox Easter ritual.
Police were allowing people to enter the church one by one.
Earlier on Saturday, at least eight ambulances were seen entering and leaving the monastery within two hours.
Orthodox churches in Russia and Ukraine have sent mixed signals to congregations over whether or not they could attend Easter services this weekend, amid government efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier this week authorities of the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church in Ukraine urged worshipers to stay at home and watch the Easter services online or on television.
But they also said that those who really wanted to could come and pray outside churches while maintaining social distancing.
Leaders of the rival Orthodox Church in Ukraine criticised the advice saying that it's a "Christian duty" to take care of others and stay home amid the pandemic.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.
For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.
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