Coronavirus: in the West Bank, Bethlehem closed off and tourism stopped

Text by: RFI Follow

The emblematic site of Bethlehem, place of the birth of Jesus in the Christian tradition, located in Palestinian territory, is placed in a state of health emergency. According to local authorities, cases of coronavirus have been detected there.

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Since Friday, the Israeli authorities , in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, have prevented Friday the entry and exit of tourists to Bethlehem, the main tourist town in the Palestinian territory.

Seven people contracted the new coronavirus in the West Bank, according to Palestinian authorities who on Thursday declared a 30-day state of emergency, the closure of the Basilica of the Nativity and the two-week ban on tourist stays in the territory occupied by Israel.

The city is almost a ghost town

“ The city is in a state of shock, laments Fadi Kattan, a Palestinian hotel and restaurant owner. It was closed by the Palestinian authorities with a ban on leaving the city of Bethlehem to other cities. And double closure since the Israeli authorities have prohibited Palestinians, tourists and Israelis from entering and leaving the city. There are 19 cases of coronavirus in two hotels ; we have 16 people in one hotel and three people in the other. Of course, there was an immediate decision to close all of the hotel properties. And then, a great first for centuries, it was the closure of the Church of the Nativity and the closure of all the churches and mosques in the city. The city is almost a ghost town. "

These measures will have economic consequences that promise to be painful, he believes. " The big shock was to see that this virus came through tourism and that the city itself survives thanks to tourism. A few hours ago, I was walking around rue de l'Étoile, which is the street through which people arrive. normal pilgrims, completely deserted, he says. These are scenes that are quite shocking. January, February have traditionally been calm months in terms of tourism. March is the month when tourism resumes and where the city finds a new air of dynamism with the end of March, the Bethlehem marathon and, immediately after, Easter and the Ramadan celebrations. Today, all the hotels are closed, it's sad. "

►Coronavirus: Italy closes its schools, Israel strengthens its measures

It is already in the Bethlehem sector that the first cases of Covid-19 disease in the West Bank have been identified. On the Israeli side, 21 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed so far, pushing the authorities to ban entry to the country for travelers from many Asian and European countries, notably France and Germany.

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• Coronavirus
• Palestinian Territories
• Israel
• Tourism
• Health and Medicine

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