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Condition of Serbian Patriarch Irinej serious but stable, says Serbian Orthodox Church

Earlier, due to the consequences of the coronavirus infection, Serbian Orthodox Bishop Milutin of the Diocese of Valjevo passed away

BELGRADE, November 19. /TASS/. Health condition of Serbian Patriarch Irinej has remained serious yet stable, the press service of Serbia’s Orthodox Church reported on Thursday after a number of Serbian news outlets reported of the passing of the patriarch.

"In the morning of November 19, the general condition of Patriarch Irinej due to COVID-19 got worse. The permanent council of physicians in the presence of doctors from the Russian Federation after an examination and testing concluded that the aggravation is the consequence of COVID-19 and that Patriarch Irinej’s health condition is serious but stable," the statement said.

Earlier, the Military Health Department of the Serbian Defense Ministry refuted the information on the patriarch’s passing in a comment to TASS. "The information of the death of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej is not correct," the department’s representative reported.

The Serbian Patriarch Irinej who turned 90 in August contracted the coronavirus on November 4 and on November 5 was admitted to the Karaburma military medical center. On August 15, the press service of the Serbian Orthodox Church reported of an aggravation of his condition, however, the doctors managed to keep him stabilized.

Earlier, due to the consequences of the coronavirus infection, Serbian Orthodox Bishop Milutin of the Diocese of Valjevo passed away. On October 30, one of the top clerics of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral Amfilohije died of complications caused by the novel coronavirus infection.

According to the data of the Serbian Healthcare Ministry, on Wednesday, a new high in the number of the coronavirus infections was recorded in the republic. The number of confirmed cases over 24 hours has increased by 5,613. The number of fatalities during the entire pandemic in the country is at 1,081.

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