00:00 | Arequipa (Arequipa region), Jun. 12.
Angela Infantas and Oliver Gerard refused to let the coronavirus pandemic alter their plans to get married. The Peruvian-French couple has held the first virtual wedding in Peru amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
The marriage ceremony was celebrated via Zoom and —in addition to the bride and groom— included the participation of the wedding witnesses and guests, who joined the session from their respective homes.
Furthermore, the virtual wedding was shared by the Arequipa Provincial Municipality fan page.
Thus, the Municipality of Arequipa became the first municipality in the country to make a virtual wedding ceremony legal in the face of the
health emergency caused by COVID-19, which has claimed more than 6,000 lives in the South American nation.
The couple submitted the documentary requirements: birth certificates, ID copies, affidavits for address proof of the couple and witnesses, among others.
The Resolution of the Mayor's Office —which authorizes the celebration of the virtual ceremony— was issued after the review and approval of such documents.
Thanks to Municipal Ordinance No. 1189, approved at a council session, the provincial municipality will be able to celebrate virtual weddings in times of COVID-19, so that Arequipa couples can legalize their union, following presentation of documents.
Invisible and deadly enemy
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) or the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). These viruses can be transmitted between animals and people.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. It is transmitted from human to human through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. COVID-19 is also transmitted by close contact with people infected by the virus.
(END) NDP/JOT/RMB/MVB
Published: 6/12/2020