- Title: U.S. church group allowed to leave Holy Land after virus scare
- Date: 9th March 2020
- Summary: BEIT JALA, WEST BANK (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) GROUP OF U.S. TOURISTS WHO WERE UNDER QUARANTINE PUTTING THEIR BELONGINGS INTO VAN/PALESTINIAN SECURITY OFFICERS WEARING A MASKS PALESTINIANS SECURITY OFFICER OUTSIDE HOTEL WEARING MASK TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE AMERICAN TOURIST WALKING WITH LUGGAGE AND WAVING TOWARD CAMERAS WORKERS AT HOTEL HELPING TOURISTS WITH THEIR LUGGAGE SIGN READING IN ENGLISH 'ANGEL HOTEL' AMERICAN TOURIST CARRYING FLOWERS AND HEADING TO VEHICLE TOURISTS PUTTING THEIR LUGGAGE IN MINI VAN HOTEL WORKER WEARING MASK AND GLOVES VARIOUS OF TOURISTS ENTERING VEHICLE PALESTINIAN SECURITY OFFICERS OUTSIDE HOTEL, WEARING MASKS VEHICLE CARRYING AMERICAN TOURISTS DRIVING AWAY GILO SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) +++AUDIO MUTE+++ VARIOUS OF DRONE VIDEO SHOWING BEIT JALA AS SEEN FROM GILO SETTLEMENT
- Embargoed: 23rd March 2020 16:05
- Keywords: Bethlehem COVID-19 Israel Palestinians U.S. pastor U.S. tourists quarantined West Bank closure coronavirus
- Location: BEIT JALA AND GILO SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK
- City: BEIT JALA AND GILO SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4BYEDJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thirteen Americans headed home from the Holy Land on Monday (March 9) after they were cleared in a coronavirus scare, the mayor of the Palestinian town where they were quarantined said.
The group, from the 3Circle Church in Fairhope, Alabama, was placed under quarantine at the Angel Hotel in Beit Jala on Wednesday after several hotel staff there tested positive.
Beit Jala is in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, near the biblical city of Bethlehem.
The Americans' quarantine ended after they tested negative for coronavirus on Sunday (March 8).
Beit Jala Mayor Nicola Khamis told Reuters they left on Monday for Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, outside Tel Aviv, to fly on to the United States. A Reuters witness saw the group, at least one of them wearing a surgical mask, boarding a van in Beit Jala.
Twenty-five Palestinians in the West Bank have been confirmed as infected with coronavirus, 24 of them in the Bethlehem area.
Under a 30-day state of emergency declared by the Palestinian Authority, foreigners have been turned back at checkpoints and schools, colleges, kindergartens and national parks ordered closed.
(Production: Roleen Tafakji/Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh/Mohammed Abu Ganeyeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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