VATICAN CITY, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle has become the highest-ranking Vatican official known to
have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Vatican said on Friday that Tagle, 63, a Filipino who
heads the Vatican's missionary arm, had tested positive when he
arrived in Manila on Thursday.
Tagle, who met Pope Francis in a private audience on Aug.
29, tested negative on Sept. 7.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Vatican health officials
were checking people who had come into contact with Tagle in
recent days. He did not say if this included the 83-year-old
pope, who is believed to be tested regularly.
He said Tagle did not have any symptoms and would go into
quarantine in Manila.
The pope held a series of private audiences on Thursday and
Friday. On Wednesday, he held his weekly audience before a
limited crowd of about 500 people. Only about a dozen people have tested positive for the virus
in the Vatican, and the few who were hospitalised with symptoms
have recovered.