Quiapo churchgoers will have to go elsewhere for the next three days as the church is given a thorough cleaning in response to the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the country’s capital region.

The parish announced Monday that the church will be temporarily closed from Jan. 3 to Jan. 6 as a cleaning crew comes in.

Fr. Douglas Badong, Quiapo Church’s parochial vicar, said the decision was made as a preventive measure against Covid-19 transmission.

“For the moment, we will not allow devotees to go inside the church. This is the Church’s way of helping in efforts to curb transmission of the virus,” Fr. Badong said.

The priest said they will be reopening Quiapo Church on Friday, in time for the Jan. 9 Feast of the Black Nazarene.

According to him, the time will also give the church’s personnel and volunteers their much needed rest in preparation for the upcoming feast.

Fr. Badong asked the devotees not to insist on entering the Quiapo Church during the four-day closure.

He instead urged the devotees to take the time to get vaccinated or receive booster shots against Covid-19.

In the meantime, the church official said the devotees may continue to attend Masses online.

“We are calling on everyone to join us in the Novena Masses online,” said Badong.