Serbian patriarch dies after testing positive for coronavirus

Serbia's leading religious figure, Patriarch Irinej, has died after contracting coronavirus, BBC reported.

The 90-year-old head of the Serbian Orthodox Church had led a large public funeral in early November for the most senior cleric in neighbouring Montenegro who also died of Covid-19.

"I was honoured to know you. People like you never depart," President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram.
Patriarch Irinej was a conservative who also wielded major political influence.

The source reports that the Patriarch was put on a ventilator in a military hospital after his condition deteriorated on Thursday, two weeks after he was first admitted to hospital. His death was announced on Friday.