Jerusalem, July 13, 2020
Photo: thetimes.co.uk
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, encompassing the site of Christ’s Crucifixion and holy Resurrection, was closed to parishioners and pilgrims again on Friday due to continuing coronavirus pandemic, reports the Times of Israel with reference to “multiple reports in Arab media.”
The Church was initially closed in March. Restrictions initially last one week, but the Church ended up being closed for two months.
However, both Israeli and Palestinian leadership are now adopting new, stricter measures in an attempt to curb a second, bigger wave of mass infections.
It is unclear how long the Holy Sepulchre will remain closed this time or whether services will continue behind closed doors.
The Palestinian West Bank experienced its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic on Friday, with 5 deaths and 331 new cases. Israel’s Health Ministry reported 1,684 new cases on Friday—the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic.
