Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, has reopened to worshippers and tourists as Palestinian authorities eased coronavirus restrictions in the occupied West Bank.
Amid lingering pandemic concerns, the church is capping access to 50 people at a time and requires that they be free of fever and wear protective masks. It had been shuttered since March 5, in a blow to Bethlehem’s tourism industry.
“The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ gave hope to people more than 2000 years ago, and opening the church today will, I think, give hope to the whole world that hopefully this pandemic will end – not only in Palestine but in the whole world,” Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Ma’ayah told Reuters.
What's happening in Tunisia?
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for updates.
