- Title: In Jericho, sirens announce start of weekend lockdown for Palestinians
- Date: 24th February 2021
- Summary: JERICHO, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 18, 2021) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) SHOPKEEPERS PUTTING AWAY ITEMS ON DISPLAY AND PREPARING FOR LOCKDOWN / AUDIO HEARING SOUND OF SIRENS TRAFFIC AND SHOPS BEHIND A BANANA STALL / AUDIO HEARING SOUND OF SIRENS SHOPKEEPER PUTTING AWAY ITEMS ON DISPLAY AND PREPARING FOR LOCKDOWN / AUDIO HEARING SOUND OF SIRENS POLICEMEN WALKING TO AN OPEN SHOP AND TALKING TO SHOPKEEPER POLICE VEHICLES DRIVING IN STREET STORE SHOP CLOSING / MAN WAITING WOMAN PACKING AWAY TOYS ON DISPLAY IN TOY SHOP / LIGHTS GOING OFF LOCK ON CLOSED SHOP DOOR JERICHO, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 21, 2021) ( REUTERS) (MUTE) DRONE FOOTAGE OF JERICHO ROUNDABOUT JERICHO, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 18, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CITIZEN, DIAA ABU ZEINA, SAYING: "Corona(virus) is there all days of the week, whether it is a Friday, Saturday or the rest of the weekdays, it is there. Even if on Fridays and Saturdays, there are more people and tourrist traffic increase but we should look for solutions that go together with keeping the economy and the general health. This is what we ask the government for." HEAVY TRAFFIC TOWARDS THE CENTER OF JERICHO BEFORE WEEKEND LOCKDOWN STRAWBERRY STALL AND SELLER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD STRAWBERRY SELLER CALLING PILE OF STRAWBERRIES VARIOUS OF PEOPLE BUYING FROM VEGETABLE MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CITIZEN, NASER SHLOUN, SAYING: "Why there isn't corona(virus) all week, but on Thursdays and Fridays, corona(virus) arrives? Is it targeting us? I am puzzled." JERICHO, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY, 19, 2021) (REUTERS) EMPTY ROUNDABOUT WITH SIGN READING (English): 'WE (HEART) JERICHO' POLICEMAN AT ENTRANCE OF JERICHO WEARING FACE MASK CHECKPOINT AT ENTRANCE OF JERICHO (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CITIZEN, ABDULNASSER MAKI, SAYING: "Why is there a lockdown on Saturday? This is an important question I have wondered about. Why on Saturday? If on Friday the lockdown is meant to stop crowds from gathering for Friday prayers, but why on Saturday?" EMPTY STREETS VARIOUS OF PIGEONS ON THE SIDE WALK RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 20, 2021) (REUTERS) AL MANARA ROUNDABOUT LION STATUES ON THE ROUNDABOUT MAN WALKING IN EMPTY STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CITIZEN, MAJDI HAMMAD, SAYING: "As you can see, people are walking in town while there is some lockdown specific to a certain location. You can go to Al-Tira down there and see half of Ramallah's inhabitants there, enjoying their time. So this looks like one of the displays of limited power for an autonomous system." VARIOUS OF EMPTY STREETS IN RAMALLAH JERICHO, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 18, 2021) (REUTERS) PADLOCK ON SHUT SHOP DOORS
- Embargoed: 10th March 2021 11:56
- Keywords: Jericho Ramallah Sirens West Bank drone footage of Jericho lockdown weekend
- Location: JERICHO AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City: JERICHO AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001E1074UT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Every Thursday evening, shops close down and residents rush home as the piercing sound of sirens announces the COVID-19 weekend lockdown in Jericho.
Crowding before the sirens blow, residents of the West Bank rush to do their last-minute shopping as they brace for a full weekend at home. The West Bank imposes a strict lockdown from Thursday evenings till Sunday mornings, requiring shops to close and restricting people from going outside.
Several residents find the lockdown confusing, saying the virus spreads "all days of the week".
"We should look for solutions that go together with keeping the economy and the general health. This is what we ask the government for," said 22-year-old Diaa Abu Zaina.
"Why there isn't corona(virus) all week, but on Thursdays and Fridays, corona(virus) arrives? Is it targeting us?" asked Naser Shloun, a Jericho resident, mocking the lockdown.
Home to 3.1 million Palestinians, the West Bank has so far reported 121,742 confirmed coronavirus cases, and 1,994 deaths, as of Wednesday (February 24).
(Production: Adel abu Nemeh, Yosri al Jamal, Nuha Sharaf) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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