Church forgives sins of virus-hit OFFICIALS FIND KEEPING ITALIANS AT HOME TOUGH

Vatican City, March 20: The Catholic Church on Friday granted forgiveness -- under certain conditions -- for the sins of the faithful struck by the novel coronavirus.

A decree published by the Vatican also covers healthcare workers and those who pray for their wellbeing. Relatives who care for their sick family members may also be forgiven. The conditions include the sick saying a certain number of prayers or following important celebrations from a distance. Those who pray for the caregivers’ wellbeing must also read the Bible “for at least half an hour”. The decree was issued one day after Italy overtook China for the most number of deaths from the new illness. The pandemic has killed more than 3,400 people in the Mediterranean country. Vatican City itself has confirmed one infection. Pope Francis was reported to have been tested for the virus as a precaution after coming down with a cold last month. The Vatican has never confirmed or denied the report but has stressed

Rome, March 20: Confined to their homes for over a week, some Italians are getting restless. More than 53,000 people have been fined for flouting the rules, as the government fires on all cylinders, hoping to convince them to stay at home.

According to the decree announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on March 9, outings are only allowed for professional, health or food shopping reasons. Offenders can be imprisoned for up to three months or fined up to 206 euros ($220). The police is everywhere and carry out tens of thousands of checks every day to make sure that all trips outside are justified.

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