Two cardinals close to Pope Francis have been infected by COVID-19, AFP reported quoting Vatican sources on Tuesday.

57-year-old Polish cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who is known as the pope’s “Robin Hood” and in charge of the pope’s charities, “tested positive for coronavirus”, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

Krajewski had symptoms of pneumonia and is currently under surveillance in a hospital in Rome.

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Officials are still seeking to trace his contacts, but he is known to meet with the Pope regularly.

78-year-old Italian cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, the president of the governorate — effectively the chief executive — of the tiny state of Vatican City has also tested positive, a Vatican source told AFP.

The 84-year-old pope, known for his love of getting close to the faithful, has been reluctant to wear a mask despite the pandemic that has hit Italy particularly badly.

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The Argentine is considered particularly at risk of complications if he contracts coronavirus, both because of his age and his history of lung problems.

He almost died when he was 21 after developing pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed, according to biographer Austen Ivereigh.