- Title: Gaza mosques, nursery schools reopen as COVID-19 restrictions ease
- Date: 3rd June 2020
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (JUNE 1, 2020) (REUTERS) NURSERY EMPLOYEES WEARING FACE MASKS WIPING NURSERY DOOR WITH DISINFECTANT NURSERY EMPLOYEES WIPING TABLES AND SEATS VARIOUS OF NURSERY EMPLOYEE SPRAYING SANITIZER ON CHILDREN'S HANDS AS THEY QUEUE TO ENTER THE CLASSROOM CHILDREN SEATED AROUND TABLES, COLORING WITH ASSISTANCE OF NURSERY TEACHER NURSERY TEACHER PUSHING CHILD ON SWING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MANAGER OF OF AL-BASMA AL-JAMILA DAYCARE AND NURSERY, HANDA AL-SWEISI, SAYING: "Frankly, the feeling is more than great! We feel we have started to go back to a normal life, or at least started to gradually go back to normal, hoping that life will be normal again soon. As for the children, they have been absent for three months, so they are still confused by the whole situation. This is normal. But they remember their teachers and their caretakers, they will adapt to being with them really quickly." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING ON A CARPET ON THE GROUND AND ON INDOOR SWINGS NURSERY TEACHERS PUSHING CHILDREN ON SWINGS VARIOUS OF CHILDREN LAUGHING AND PLAYING WITH MULTICOLORED PLASTIC RINGS, JOINED BY TEACHER GAZA CITY, GAZA (JUNE 3, 2020) (REUTERS) MOSQUE MINARET IN GAZA CITY WITH AUDIO OF CALL TO PRAYER AT DAWN WORSHIPPERS WALKING INTO MOSQUE PAPER TAPED TO THE MOSQUE'S DOOR DISPLAYING INSTRUCTIONS IN ARABIC (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IMAM OF AL-HASSAYNEH MOSQUE, SHEIKH AHMAD SAFADI, SAYING: "The ministry of religious affairs specified a number of safety and prevention measures, some of which still prohibit the use of public facilities and bathrooms, to protect the safety of worshippers and people." VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS PRAYING, SOME WEARING FACE MASKS
- Embargoed: 17th June 2020 14:08
- Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Gaza Mosques Nurseries Reopening
- Location: GAZA CITY, GAZA
- City: GAZA CITY, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CGTH07P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The young pupils of Gaza's Al-Basma Al-Jamila kindergarten eagerly hold out their hands to receive a dose of sanitizer as their long-missed teachers allow them into the classroom, for the first time since measures were taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus and they were asked to stay home, about three months ago.
Following an easing of restrictions in the Gaza Strip, local authorities allowed the reopening of preschools on Wednesday (June 3) for children between the ages of two and five. Many of their parents are employees and have gone back to work.
The school year for elementary and secondary school in Gaza and the West Bank has officially ended, with the exception of final exams that began on Saturday for high school students.
In the past week, Muslim religious authorities in the Gaza Strip already allowed Friday prayers in mosques, after a two-month closure.
Officials instructed imams to keep sermons brief as a health precaution.
Ahmed Al-Safadi, a Gaza City imam, said dozens of people attended dawn prayers at his mosque.
The enclave, whose borders are tightly controlled by Israel and Egypt, has confirmed 61 cases of coronavirus, all in quarantine facilities, and one death so far. Two million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip.
(Production: Arafat Barbach, Nuha Sharaf) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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