Shuttered churches, empty markets: Bethlehem coronavirus lockdown enters second week
Record ID:
1463552
Shuttered churches, empty markets: Bethlehem coronavirus lockdown enters second week
- Title: Shuttered churches, empty markets: Bethlehem coronavirus lockdown enters second week
- Date: 12th March 2020
- Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MARCH 11, 2020) (REUTERS) CLOSED SHOPS AT BETHLEHEM'S OLD MARKET / EMPTY ALLEYWAY VARIOUS OF CLOSED SHOPS WITH PADLOCK ON DOORS DESERTED MANGER SQUARE VARIOUS OF CLOSED DOOR OF THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY CHURCH BELL TOWERS GOVERNOR OF BETHLEHEM, KAMEL HUMAID, TALKING TO MEDICAL TEAM SIGN READING (Arabic): "OFFICE OF PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY IN BETHLEHEM" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOVERNOR OF BETHLEHEM, KAMEL HUMAID, SAYING: "It is not a ghost town because in a ghost town people will be forced to stay in their homes without being convinced and will feel fearful. On the contrary, the measures we are taking are agreed upon with the residents, we've imposed some restrictions and have delivered the message to the residents while they are safe in their homes. Even those who are quarantined, the measures are standard, and we have benefited from the experiences in China and other countries." VARIOUS OF CHURCHES AND HOTELS IN BETHLEHEM'S OLD CITY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOVERNOR OF BETHLEHEM, KAMEL HUMAID, SAYING: "Our people have been through worse situations, in the first and the second intifadas (uprisings). We survived long periods of curfews before. Therefore, we should be mindful of that, and maintain the lowest possible movement in the streets and at the same time we are adamant if we felt there is a danger or any possibility of the virus spreading." VARIOUS OF STRAWBERRY SELLER FORSAN BISHIRAT, CALLING FOR CUSTOMERS WHILE THE MARKET IS EMPTY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MAN SELLING STRAWBERY AT BETHLEHEM'S MARKET, FORSAN BISHIRAT, SAYING: "There is no one to call on, I am calling randomly looking for a customer to come and buy one or two kilograms. The market is empty, there's nobody around. I come from 8 in the morning with 100 kilograms and go back home with half this amount. I make 50-100 Shekels (around $14-$28), what's the point?" BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MARCH 12, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CLOSED SCHOOL VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CLOSED BANK BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MARCH 11, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF BETHLEHEM, UM NAJI, SAYING: "I came to buy some sanitizers and will go home, nothing more," REPORTER ASKING: "How is the situation today?" "It is very bad; I hope that God turns this around to the better." BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MARCH 11, 2020) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) SIGN READING (Arabic) AND (English): "WELCOME, BEITJALA" MAIN STREET IN BETHLEHEM EMPTY PALESTINIAN POLICE BLOCKING STREET BETWEEN TOWNS TWO CARS DRIVING DOWN EMPTY STREET VARIOUS OF STREET SIGN WITH BILLBOARD READING (Arabic) "BETHLEHEM, BE STRONG"
- Embargoed: 26th March 2020 13:02
- Keywords: Bethlehem Nativity Church Palestinians West Bank coronavirus
- Location: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK
- City: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4QZ1HX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity remained closed and street vendors struggled to make a sale on Thursday (March 12) as a coronavirus lockdown across the Israeli-occupied West Bank stretched into its second week.
Palestinian officials declared a state of emergency on March 5 after the illness surfaced in a hotel in Bethlehem, where local authorities have mandated quarantines and shut schools to halt the spread of the biblical town's 30 positive cases.
Bethlehem Mayor Kamel Humaid acknowledged the restrictions had taken a toll on the tourism-dependent city but encouraged vigilance. He compared the lockdown to curfews Palestinians faced during uprisings against Israel, the last of which was from 2000-2005.
"Our people have been through worse situations, in the first and the second intifadas (uprisings)," Humaid said. "We survived curfews before. We should be mindful of that."
In the empty alleys leading to Bethlehem's Manger Square and Nativity Church, revered by Christians as the place of Jesus' birth, greengrocers competed for the occasional passing customer, mostly to no avail.
"The market is empty," said Forsan Bishirat, 46, who showed up to the city's bazaar with a load of strawberries for sale.
"I end up going back home with half of them, only making 50-100 shekels (around $14-$28). What's the point?", he asked.
Bethlehem has also faced restrictions from neighbouring Israel, which sealed off its military checkpoints to the city's residents in a bid to stop the spread of its own 100 positive cases.
(Mohammed Abu Ganeyeh, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh, Rami Ayyub) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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