Pope Francis tests negative for coronavirus
Pope Francis has tested negative for Covid-19 after falling ill and was forced to cancel a mass in Rome.
This result is coming after he shook hands with and kissed people in the Square at a moment where the virus is spreading in Italy. He also greeted visiting bishops.
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Meanwhile the 83-year-old Roman Catholic leader, had life-threatening pneumonia at the age of 21 and had part of one lung removed because of an illness decades ago.
Francis was to have taken part in the week-long retreat with senior Vatican officials that began on Sunday night at a Church residence south of Rome. But in a surprise announcement hours earlier, he said he would be following it from his residence in a Vatican guest house.
He has been taken ill at a time when Italy is battling a surging outbreak of the potentially deadly coronavirus.
The death toll in Italy jumped to 52 on Monday from 34 the day before and the total number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst affected country climbed past the 2,000 mark.
