The Philippines continues to cope with coronavirus, with an archbishop recovering from the disease and four nuns dying in recent days while others have contracted the illness.

The central Philippine archdiocese of Jaro has asked for prayers for Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo as he recovers from coronavirus disease, reported CBCP News.

Fr. Angelo Colada, director of Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications, said that Lazo has been admitted to a hospital in Iloilo City and remains in a stable condition.

He said the archbishop sought a swab test after suffering “mild symptoms” of Covid-19 early this week, which turned out to be positive.

Contact tracing was immediately initiated to contain the spread of the infection and the archbishop’s residence was placed under lockdown.

Of the 14 persons identified as close contacts of Lazo, only the archbishop’s driver tested positive of the disease.

“The 14 people, mostly priests, those in the seminary, and the people staying with him in the residence all tested negative, except his driver,” Colada told Radio Veritas.

Archbishop Lazo, 72, old is fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Four nuns from a Carmelite convent in the city of Iloilo’s La Paz district died from Covid-19 in less than two weeks as the virus spread throughout the area.

Fr. Angelo Colada, director of Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications, said the fatalities were among the 24 nuns who contracted the virus and most of them are elderly.

Nine staff of the convent also tested positive for Covid-19, according to the priest.

“So out of 24 plus nine personnel who tested positive, seven were brought to the hospital but four of them already died,” Fr. Colada told Radio Veritas on Thursday.

The convent has been under lockdown since July 25.

The first nun died on July 31 and another one succumbed to the disease on August 3. Local authorities reported the two other fatalities on Aug. 10.

Those infected with Covid-19 remain under isolation while those who were found negative are also quarantined for close monitoring.