Palestinian police forces patrol empty Bethlehem, American tourists quarantined amid coronavirus scare

Record ID: 1462668

  • Title: Palestinian police forces patrol empty Bethlehem, American tourists quarantined amid coronavirus scare
  • Date: 8th March 2020
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MARCH 8, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOURISTS LEAVING HOTEL AND GOING INTO BUS TO LEAVE BETHLEHEM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PARADISE HOTEL MANAGER, ESSA ABU AIYTA, SAYING: "The group has left the hotel yesterday but there was a mix up with the tickets, so they went back to the hotel and now we are waiting for them to leave to the airport." VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY MEN CHECKING DRIVERS LEAVING BETHLEHEM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF POLICE IN BETHLEHEM, TAREL ALHAJ, SAYING: "The goal is to limit the number of residents leaving Bethlehem district to other districts and to limit the entrance to Bethlehem district so we can restrict and prevent the transmission of the virus to other areas." PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES WITH MASKS ON VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY MEN CHECKING DRIVERS WHILE WEARING MASKS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF BETHLEHEM WHO WAS NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE BETHLEHEM, SAMI BEZANTI, SAYING: "In big, great cities there is much more spread of the virus and still nothing like this happens. I do not see this virus as that dangerous, I see it as a bit dramatic. It is true, there needs to be reservation, care and instructions but they cannot stop everything around us. This virus might reach twenty and thirty people, and they are paralysing the movement of a country that already has a weak economy." CLOSED CHECKPOINT STOP SIGN INFRONT OF GATE ISRAELI WATCH TOWER EMPTY STREET PALESTINIAN SECURITY BLOCKING STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF BETHLEHEM WHO WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER BETHLEHEM, MAHMOUD NASSERELDINE, SAYING: "These measures are good to prevent the virus from spreading and keep us safe so diseases would not spread, and may God protect Bethlehem and all of our nation." BEIT JALA, WEST BANK (MARCH 8, 2020) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN SECURITY MEN WALKING OUTSIDE HOTEL WHERE PEOPLE, INCLUDING TOURISTS FROM THE U.S., ARE UNDER QUARANTINE EXTERIOR TO ANGEL HOTEL WHERE PEOPLE, INCLUDING TOURISTS FROM THE U.S., ARE UNDER QUARANTINE MAN WEARING MASK INSIDE HOTEL BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MARCH 8, 2020) (REUTERS) VIEW OF CHURCH OF NATIVITY'S DOOR CLOSED VIEW OF MANGER SQUARE WHILE CHURCH BELLS ARE RINGING VIEW OF CHURCH TOWERS, CHURCH BELLS RINGING HEARD IN BACKGROUND CHURCH BELL RINGING VIEW OF NATIVITY CHURCH TOWER, CHURCH BELLS RINGING HEARD IN BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 22nd March 2020 12:03
  • Keywords: Bethlehem COVID-19 Israel Palestinians U.S. pastor West Bank closure coronavirus
  • Location: BETHLEHEM, BEIT JALA, WEST BANK
  • City: BETHLEHEM, BEIT JALA, WEST BANK
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C46XXZB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The streets of Bethlehem were near-empty on Sunday (March 8), as an Israeli closure and Palestinian-declared state of emergency over coronavirus were starting to leave a mark on daily life in the West Bank town.
    Streets were deserted and shops closed as Palestinian police wearing masks patrolled the traditional birthplace of Jesus, hit hard by the state of emergency.
    Tourists have been asked to leave in the last twenty four hours from West Bank cities. Palestinian government spokesperson said on Saturday (March 7) that some 5,000 tourists have visited the city in the last few days, most of them left the city for flights departing from Israel.
    Thirteen Americans suspected of being exposed to coronavirus are in quarantine near Bethlehem and are coordinating with U.S. and Palestinian authorities to try to get home.
    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced 30-day state of emergency to apply across the occupied West Bank on Thursday (March 5), after seven coronavirus cases were found in Bethlehem among hotel workers thought to have caught it from tourists.
    In other parts of the West Bank, Palestinian security forces staffed checkpoints and turned some foreigners away.
    Religious authorities closed around 30 mosques, conferences were cancelled and national parks shut across the West Bank.
    The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank under interim peace accords with Israel, where around 15 people have been diagnosed with the virus.
    (Production: Mustafa abu Ganeyeh, Mohammad abu Ganeyeh, Suheir Sheikh)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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