Bethlehem Lights up Christmas Tree Without Crowd as Covid-19 Spreads

Bethlehem lit up its Christmas tree, Saturday night, without any crowds, as the Palestinian authorities imposed curfew over fears of coronavirus outbreak.

Palestinian citizens used to gather in front of the Church of the Nativity to celebrate this occasion, lighting the Christmas tree and partying together.

Nonetheless, they did not have the opportunity to celebrate like they used to do, as coronavirus widely spread, killing 678 out of 71,703 infected.

Last week, Palestinian authorities announced strict measures that include a night-time curfew, across the Israeli-occupied West Bank for 14 days to fight the deadly virus.

Carmen Ghattas, director of public relations at the Bethlehem municipality, told AFP that Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh had lit up the tree remotely from his office in Ramallah thanks to a device installed by the municipality.

Ghattas mentioned that they have begun lighting the Christmas tree since 2008.

Earlier, Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Keela announced that 1,461 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and 15 deaths were recorded among Palestinians during the past twenty-four hours.

The minister stated that the Gaza Strip recorded the highest number of new infections with the deadly virus which hit 827 cases, adding that 63 of the infected “are in intensive care units, including 10 patients on artificial respirators to being supplied with oxygen.

The Palestinian government in the West Bank continued to impose a comprehensive closure on the cities and villages that will continue until Sunday morning, followed by a partial closure that extends from seven in the evening until six in the morning for the rest of the week, to counter the spread of the virus.

The database of the Palestinian Ministry of Health shows that the total number of coronavirus infections among Palestinians since the outbreak of the pandemic last March reached 94,882.