Palestinian officials are closing the storied Nativity Church in the biblical city of Bethlehem over coronavirus fears. The closure comes weeks ahead of the busy Easter holiday season that draws tens of thousands to the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
People visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, Thursday, March 5, 2020. Palestinian authorities said the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, built atop the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born, will close indefinitely due to coronavirus concerns.
Built on the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born, the church joins a list of prominent tourist and holy sites to shutter their doors in the wake of rising fears over the spread of the virus, which has infected tens of thousands and killed more than 3,000 globally. “I heard they found the coronavirus infection here and we decided to leave,” he said. “We can’t stay here any more. I’m going back to my hotel now to look for a hotel elsewhere.”
The Church of the Nativity receives some 10,000 tourists a day, according to Palestinian officials. It is expected to welcome tens of thousands of visitors during the busy Easter season. If the measures remain in place, the fledgling Palestinian tourism industry could take a walloping. Tourists currently in the West Bank were instructed to leave once their bookings end.
Even as the Bethlehem church was closed, other major places of worship in the Holy Land remained open.
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