With bird sacrifices and chants, Cuba's Santeria seek protection from coronavirus

Emilia Montoya, 79, a follower of the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria, sits before a ceremony amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba, March 28, 2020. Picture taken on March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

HAVANA (Reuters) - The family of Emilia Montoya, 79, sacrificed four white doves and two roosters, chanted in the African language Yoruba and pounded a wooden staff rhythmically on the floor in a ceremony to protect Montoya from coronavirus.

The small gathering in her Havana home appealed to their ancestors and honoured Inle, the deity of health in Santeria, a ritual-filled Afro-Cuban religion. Montoya does not have the virus though Cuba has so far reported 170 confirmed cases.