Live updates: Pope holds Christmas Eve Mass amid Italy surge

Live updates: Pope holds Christmas Eve Mass amid Italy surge

SeattlePI.com

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ROME — Pope Francis has celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases that has prompted a new vaccine mandate for Vatican employees.

A maskless Francis processed down the central aisle of the basilica Friday as the Sistine Chapel choir sang “Noel,” kicking off the Vatican’s Christmas holiday.

For the second day in a row, Italy on Friday set a new pandemic daily record with 50,599 new cases. Another 141 people died, bringing the official death toll to 136,386.

The Vatican secretary of state on Thursday imposed a new vaccine mandate on all Vatican staff, except those who have recovered from the coronavirus. The faithful attending Mass are required to wear masks.

Francis, who is missing part of one lung and had intestinal surgery in July, has largely eschewed masks. He is believed to have received the third booster shot.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:

— Hospitals, police departments struggle to stay staffed as omicron infects workforces

— Fear of infection takes back seat to food insecurity as pandemic pummels African economies

— Coronavirus dampens Christmas joy in biblical Bethlehem

Go to https://APNews.com/coronavirus-pandemic for updates throughout the day.

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY:

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has defended her response to the coronavirus, insisting that the state acted early and did all it could against the omicron variant’s rapid spread.

Hochul also told a news conference Friday that the state is shortening the amount of time essential workers must stay home after testing...

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