"Once the germ got in and spread around, it was the point of no return."
Thirteen nuns have died of COVID-19 and a dozen more are seriously ill after the pandemic swept through their convent outside Detroit. The Felician Sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent were especially vulnerable — many of them were retired teachers and nurses in their 80s and 90s.
"Once the germ got in and spread around, it was the point of no return," said Sister Noel Marie Gabriel, Director of Clinical Health Services at Our Lady of Hope Province. "Our sisters and their legacy were all about serving the community."
Meanwhile, the pace of new infections appears to be slowing. On Monday, new cases in the United States rose by 60,000 — the smallest increase in a week. Another study has found that the rise in temperatures may be causing a decrease in the death rate.
President Donald Trump appeared to embrace mask wearing, posting a photo of himself wearing one with the caption, "Many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President."
But at a later fundraiser, Trump greeted well-wishers with no mask and seemed to make light of social distancing.
"Don't touch me, because if you touch me it won't be good," Trump said to onlookers.
RELATED STORIES
